heartbreaking
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of heartbreaking
First recorded in 1600–10; heartbreak + -ing 2
Explanation
Something that's deeply sad or distressing is heartbreaking, like the heartbreaking death of your beloved cat. Heartbreaking is the perfect word to describe a devastating feeling. When you lose someone you love, it feels like your heart is broken. Use this adjective for anything that causes you grief or sorrow, like the heartbreaking loss of an old tree in your yard or a glimpse of your crush holding hands with someone else. Other distressing events can feel heartbreaking too — even the loss of your favorite team in the playoffs: "What a heartbreaking defeat!"
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.
It is "heartbreaking to see", said visitor Ahn Seung-hyun.
From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026
There is something genuinely quite heartbreaking about watching Panettiere, a young woman just coming to understand Hollywood industry standards, repeat the sickly refrains of a similarly demanding profession.
From Salon ● Aug. 18, 2026
There is a gorgeous, heartbreaking story about a piano prodigy in France during World War I. The final story concerns the marriage between a Dutch clockmaker and a theoretical physicist.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
Bateman: The thing I found beautiful, and also heartbreaking, was just how open and vulnerable these characters are and how little artifice there is in their lives.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
It has been my experience that rewarding and heartbreaking often go hand in hand.
From "Counting by 7s" by Holly Goldberg Sloan
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.
