heartbroken

American  

[hahrt-broh-kuhn] / ˈhɑrtˌbroʊ kən /

adjective

1. crushed with sorrow or grief.

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heartbroken British  

/ ˈhɑːtˌbrəʊkən /

adjective

1. suffering from intense grief

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• heartbrokenness
  noun
• heartbrokenly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of heartbroken

First recorded in 1580–90; heart + broken

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

Paying tribute, entertainment writer Jay Bobbin said he was "heartbroken to learn about the passing of superb character actor".

From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026

In the role of heartbroken boyfriend, McCullagh attended Natalie's wake, visited her grave and made a memorial video for a vigil in her honour.

From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026

Horace leaves Hollywood and a heartbroken but determined Aaron behind.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 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

Some veterans were angry that their sacrifices in Vietnam had been for nothing; others were heartbroken over the death tolls.

From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge

Related Words

• grief-stricken
• sad