heartbroken

[hahrt-broh-kuhn]

adjective

1. crushed with sorrow or grief.

heartbroken

/ ˈhɑːtˌbrəʊkən /

adjective

1. suffering from intense grief

Other Word Forms

• heartbrokenly adverb
• heartbrokenness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of heartbroken¹

First recorded in 1580–90; heart + broken

Example Sentences

Survivors of the Nova festival massacre said they were "heartbroken and deeply saddened by the death of our dear friend".

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"It makes me feel heartbroken to think that one day, when she is no longer here, what will happen to the language?"

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His way with words even saves his life, since the man he crosses happens to be heartbroken and easily gratified by his trespasser’s willingness to pull a Cyrano de Bergerac on his behalf.

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No matter how sick or heartbroken or distracted I am by love or children, the flow just never stops.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Greenpeace said it was "heartbroken" by her death, calling her "one of the true conservation giants of our time".

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Related Words

• grief-stricken 
• sad