heart-wrenching
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of heart-wrenching
First recorded in 1835–40; heart ( def. ) + wrench ( def. ) + -ing 2 ( def. )
Explanation
If something is terribly sad, it's heart-wrenching. Your best friend might think Romeo and Juliet is ridiculous, but you're not alone if you find the tragic ending absolutely heart-wrenching. Heart-wrenching is a perfect way to describe something that's so sad it feels like your heart has been permanently damaged — wrenched or twisted by grief. You might also call it "heartbreaking" or "heartrending," words that also attempt to capture a sense of despair or sorrow. A heart-wrenching movie leaves you weeping at the end, and the sudden loss of your wonderful dog is heart-wrenching for the whole family.
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.
Some of her story, though heart-wrenching in its details, is familiar — her career as an infant-model turned child/young-adult actor was successful but at great cost — but some of it is not.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
News of the dingoes' euthanisation was "heart-wrenching", he told Australian media, adding however that he recognised it may be necessary for safety because of the pack's behaviour.
From Barron's ● Jan. 28, 2026
The chairman of Pakistan's Senate, Yusuf Raza Gilani, called it "a heart-wrenching incident that turned celebrations into mourning".
From BBC ● Jan. 11, 2026
Time and again, Ann’s hope is met with heart-wrenching pain, and to hear Seyfried’s angelic voice laced with her character’s despair is quite unlike anything I have ever experienced watching a film, musical or otherwise.
From Salon ● Dec. 27, 2025
One day, we had a deep, heart-wrenching conversation, and decided that our relationship had run its course.
From "How Dare the Sun Rise" by Sandra Uwiringiyimana
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.
