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.
“This was heart wrenching, it was backwards and forwards and there were moments when I thought it was going in one direction and then in another,” Cauce says, on the video news conference.
From Seattle Times • Dec. 24, 2023
Although they often despised each other on screen, shooting their final scenes together was heart wrenching for the stars.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 30, 2023
It was a dramatic and heart wrenching moment.
From Washington Post • Mar. 28, 2023
"There are shockwaves through the village. I have been contacted by many constituents about it and it's heart wrenching," he said.
From BBC • Mar. 9, 2023
Diagnosis of long Covid is a difficult — and heart wrenching — process.
From Salon • Jan. 22, 2022
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.
