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Synonyms

heartbreak

American  
[hahrt-breyk] / ˈhɑrtˌbreɪk /

noun

  1. great sorrow, grief, or anguish.

heartbreak British  
/ ˈhɑːtˌbreɪk /

noun

  1. intense and overwhelming grief, esp through disappointment in love

"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

Etymology

Origin of heartbreak

First recorded in 1575–85; heart + break

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.

In Birgitta Trotzig’s novella, a young woman’s toughness in the face of poverty and heartbreak sets her apart from her village peers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

“This time, I wasn’t 17 years old, going through my first heartbreak, crying at the piano and a song just flies out. I had to sharpen my songwriting skills and my singing skills,” Rodrigo said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026

Italy's World Cup heartbreak was crystallised in the tear-streaked face of coach Rino Gattuso, who struggled to hold back his emotions after the national team's defeat.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

"The heartbreak is actually more than I anticipated, but the energy to refocus and go again is definitely still there," said Bellamy.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

And nobody who saw the heartbreak on Grandpa’s face when Granny breathed her last would have thought for one minute that he was glad to get shet of her so he could marry Love Simpson.

From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns

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.