brokenhearted

American  

[broh-kuhn-hahr-tid] / ˈbroʊ kənˈhɑr tɪd /

adjective

1. burdened with great sorrow, grief, or disappointment.

   Synonyms:

   dejected, despondent, heartbroken, heartsick

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brokenhearted British  

/ ˌbrəʊkənˈhɑːtɪd /

adjective

1. overwhelmed by grief or disappointment

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Other Word Forms

• brokenheartedly adverb
• brokenheartedness noun

Etymology

Origin of brokenhearted

First recorded in 1520–30

Explanation

Are you so profoundly sad that it feels like a physical pain in your chest? You're brokenhearted. Someone might be brokenhearted about the death of a beloved cat or a falling out with an old friend. Another way to say brokenhearted is heartbroken. Either word is perfect for capturing the sensation that your heart has actually shattered from sorrow. It makes total sense to feel brokenhearted if your best friend snubs you or your favorite grandparent dies. This unhappy adjective has been around since the 1520s.

Example Sentences

But none of his previous efforts have exuded such a strong fairy-tale quality as “Dogman,” a strange, sincere paean to a brokenhearted outsider who may also be a sociopath.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 29, 2024

Cage is deeply affecting, hiding waves of rage and resentment under a steely-soft demeanor in a heartbreaking story about a brokenhearted human.

From New York Times • Apr. 26, 2023

But Colman explained in a recent interview that costume designer Verity Hawkes wanted to portray the brokenhearted woman as rotting from the inside by darkening her hem to look like there's mold growing through it.

From Salon • Mar. 27, 2023

He broke up with me very abruptly, and I was extremely brokenhearted.

From Washington Post • Feb. 28, 2023

In her favorite novel, a brokenhearted boy burns everything his ex-girlfriend ever gave him, including a photo of her as a child.

From "Bone Gap" by Laura Ruby