heart-wrenching

[ hahrt-ren-ching ]
See synonyms for heart-wrenching on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. causing or involving great sadness or distress; heartbreaking: The accounts of their persecution are heart-wrenching.

Origin of heart-wrenching

1
First recorded in 1835–40; heart + wrench + -ing2

Other words from heart-wrenching

  • heart-wrench·ing·ly, adverb

Words Nearby heart-wrenching

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use heart-wrenching in a sentence

  • Timmy was heart-wrenching enough by himself, but I've had to watch the change in you in the past few months.

    The Short Life | Francis Donovan
  • Yes, of course, Frank and I were having this heart-wrenching discussion about the right thing to do.

    Warren Commission (9 of 26): Hearings Vol. IX (of 15) | The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy
  • He had had enough heart-wrenching to bear as it was without that.

  • Meanwhile, I was too choked up after the last heart-wrenching scene to get up and make a speech.

    The Mind Digger | Winston Marks