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Synonyms

heart-rending

British  

adjective

  1. causing great mental pain and sorrow

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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Chinese users of AI-powered companion bots have bid heart-rending farewells to their virtual buddies as national regulations took effect Wednesday aimed at curbing the risk of emotional dependency.

From Barron's Jul. 15, 2026

That leaves IVF patients with the heart-rending decision of when to stop trying.

From The Wall Street Journal Nov. 14, 2025

One of the most heart-rending moments of series four was when it was revealed that Watts's mum had died of cancer when he was just a child.

From BBC Apr. 19, 2025

Yousuf Abubakr, a UC Berkeley graduate student in mechanical engineering, said heart-rending images on social media of the suffering of Palestinian civilians prompted him to join the movement.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 29, 2024

Wizards avoided Augurey nests for fear of hearing that heart-rending sound, and more than one wizard is believed to have suffered a heart attack on passing a thicket and hearing an unseen Augurey wail.

From "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" by J.K. Rowling

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