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Synonyms

broken heart

American  

noun

  1. devastating sorrow, especially from disappointment in love; heartbreak.

    When you're young, you think you'll never recover from a broken heart.

Etymology

Origin of broken heart

First recorded in 1825–35

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.

"Ramadan without the Al-Aqsa Mosque is a very sad feeling, a feeling of having a broken heart," said worshipper Zeyad Mona.

From Barron's • Mar. 20, 2026

I conclude not with a joke but with a proverb at the essence of most Jewish jokes: What is as whole as a Jew with a broken heart?

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 21, 2025

But the celebratory atmosphere masks a broken heart, as Bad Bunny is reminded of the ex who taught him to dance.

From BBC • Dec. 20, 2025

The announcement concluded, saying “She will be missed so much our hearts are breaking” followed by three broken heart emojis.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 10, 2025

I don’t want you to have a broken heart.

From "Everything, Everything" by Nicola Yoon

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.