heartsick
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of heartsick
Explanation
If you've lost someone you love, you'll be desperately sad, or heartsick. Your beloved grandmother's death or your best friend moving far away can both make you feel heartsick. Grief and loss are connected to the adjective heartsick. When someone's heartsick, they're not just bummed out — they are grieving and mournful. You could also describe this as being heartbroken or heavy-hearted. The heart is important here, because of the strong emotion associated with the word. Originally, heartsick literally meant "ill from heart disease."
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.
Heartsick, Wen-jun goes to extraordinary lengths to publicize his grief — making videos, singing on street corners — and dealing with blackmailers who demand a fortune for a child they don’t have.
From Time • Sep. 6, 2014
Heartsick, we watched those broken ranks stumbling down the slope.
From Time Magazine Archive
Heartsick Leader Rayburn let antique Adolph Sabath bring up the Housing bill.
From Time Magazine Archive
Heartsick, Wiggins studied the document for a third time.
From Time Magazine Archive
Heartsick, I ripped the letter down to its last exclamation point and flung it like confetti out into the water.
From "Jacob Have I Loved" by Katherine Paterson
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.
