heartbroken
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of heartbroken
Explanation
To be heartbroken is to be so sad that it feels like your heart has cracked inside your chest. You’d be heartbroken after a death, but you can also be heartbroken when you get dumped by your girlfriend or boyfriend. Waaaaaa. When someone is heartbroken, they are deeply sorrowful or distressed. Feeling heartbroken about a tragic accident or disaster is an understandable response, and being heartbroken after a romantic breakup is basically inevitable. The word heartbroken has been used since the late 1500s, and it comes from heartbreak, which is rooted in the Old English heorte, "heart" and also "spirit" or "soul."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"They were just heartbroken," Susanna says, remembering their reaction to hearing what had happened.
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
“We are heartbroken over the passing of Stacey King, a true Oklahoma legend,” current Sooners coach Porter Moser said in a statement.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026
Paying tribute, entertainment writer Jay Bobbin said he was "heartbroken to learn about the passing of superb character actor".
From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026
"I go to the market only to look around because I cannot afford to buy anything. Whenever I ask about prices, I return heartbroken," Nadia Abu Shamala, a Palestinian resident of Gaza, told AFP.
From Barron's • May 27, 2026
She helped cook quiet meals for heartbroken families, and sparred with a black belt Bokator bot.
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
