1
as in sad
causing unhappiness
couldn't bear to see the heartrending photos of victims of the famine
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2
as in painful
hard to accept or bear especially emotionally
a heartrending choice between saving his daughter or his son
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3
as in tragic
of a kind to cause great distress
heartrending memories of all the terrible crimes he'd committed and was sorry for now
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4
as in pathetic
deserving of one's pity
the heartrending sight of a starving child holding out his hands for food
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of heartrending
The awards season might be in full swing, but Small Things Like These deserves to be acknowledge for its outstanding direction and beautiful cinematography, as much as it should be recognized for the poignant and heartrending performances from Cillian Murphy and Emily Watson, particularly.
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Maelle Beauget-Uhl, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
Garfield’s aptitude for self-conscious interiority and expertly modifying the tone and intensity of his performance is perfectly suited for the earnest, chaotic and heartrending demands of this modern dramedy.
—Rory Doherty, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2024
In its most heartrending section, a physical manifestation of the broken mother-child bond, 144 teak drawers slide open to display delicate objects that had been severed in half.
—Maria Laurino, The New Republic, 29 June 2023
Those possibilities become still more heartrending when Allison is allowed out on parole for a day, in scenes that Breslin plays with a wrenching mix of toughness, resignation and despair.
—Christi Carras, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2021
Maelle Beauget-Uhl, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
Garfield’s aptitude for self-conscious interiority and expertly modifying the tone and intensity of his performance is perfectly suited for the earnest, chaotic and heartrending demands of this modern dramedy.
—Rory Doherty, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2024
In its most heartrending section, a physical manifestation of the broken mother-child bond, 144 teak drawers slide open to display delicate objects that had been severed in half.
—Maria Laurino, The New Republic, 29 June 2023
Those possibilities become still more heartrending when Allison is allowed out on parole for a day, in scenes that Breslin plays with a wrenching mix of toughness, resignation and despair.
—Christi Carras, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heartrending
Adjective
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However, sad to say, Gmail accounts remain a prime target for attackers of all sorts and understanding the threat is key to getting a grip on mitigating it.Davey Winder, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024
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What kids gain from taking charge of their own feelings Having strong emotional regulation skills doesn’t mean kids won’t feel sad, angry, or frustrated — that’s part of being human.Amy Morin, Contributor, CNBC, 13 Dec. 2024
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Survivor: Thailand The fake merge and brutal last challenge — where the final three had to hold coins between their fingers in a crazy painful pose — keep this dud out of the bottom spot.Dalton Ross, EW.com, 12 Dec. 2024
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Her symptoms were pretty challenging—a series of painful nodules that needed to be lanced and drained.Julia Ries, SELF, 12 Dec. 2024
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Obituaries Toni Morrison dead at 88: ‘Beloved’ author captured tragic and joyful complexion of life and race Aug. 6, 2019 As a winner of seven NAACP awards and countless more accolades for her achievements in poetry — Giovanni helped up-and-coming writers.Astrid Kayembe, Los Angeles Times, 10 Dec. 2024
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This tragic incident has drawn attention to the broader issue of chronic pain, which affects millions of Americans and is often linked to significant mental and emotional distress.Amanda Castro, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
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Tucker Carlson's Fox News replacement:Jesse Watters is perfectly pathetic These 3 Arizona spots were ranked among top US dive bars for food.Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 11 Dec. 2024
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The over is the obvious bet here given the pathetic state of both defenses.Hank Gola, New York Daily News, 6 Dec. 2024
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Two of the movies feature both Adams and Julianne Moore, and what’s really depressing is that such a phenomenal pairing got wasted on hapless material.Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 6 Dec. 2024
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And seeing even a preview of that was so depressing for me.Okla Jones, Essence, 4 Dec. 2024
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The corps’ push for additional benefits coincided with a harsh realization for the British Army: For white men, service in the West Indies was viewed as a death sentence due to the high risk of disease.Kinsey Gidick, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Dec. 2024
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This is especially key as bitcoin has surged to $100,000 , meaning that the earliest holders with the lowest basis could be facing harsh taxes on sale.Darla Mercado, CFP®, CNBC, 11 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Absentees from injury are unfortunate, suspensions less so.Simon Johnson, The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024
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The unfortunate trend is certainly concerning for a Lions team that is hoping to make a deep playoff run.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 16 Dec. 2024
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The cub was also hairless and found in poor condition.Greta Cross, USA TODAY, 13 Dec. 2024
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In many poor and densely populated neighborhoods across the country, people have access to free, unmetered electricity.Nasser Karimi and Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 13 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near heartrending
Cite this Entry
“Heartrending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heartrending. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
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