heartbroken
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word 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.
"His sudden passing has left his family heartbroken and facing an uncertain future."
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
Lee Dixon, who played at Newcastle under Keegan, said he was "heartbroken"
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
“Our Arcadia Baseball family is heartbroken by the loss of Avery, Class of 2025. He touched many lives and will be deeply missed,” the baseball team wrote on X.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
She was generally right on target for the dramatic stories related, as take-charge and cheeky, witty, or sobbing and heartbroken as the lyrics required.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
Her eyes were red and swollen, and she really was heartbroken.
From "Keep It Together, Keiko Carter" by Debbi Michiko Florence
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.
