heartbroken

American  

[hahrt-broh-kuhn] / ˈhɑrtˌbroʊ kən /

adjective

1. crushed with sorrow or grief.

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heartbroken British  

/ ˈhɑːtˌbrəʊkən /

adjective

1. suffering from intense grief

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Other Word Forms

• heartbrokenly adverb
• heartbrokenness noun

Etymology

Origin of heartbroken

First recorded in 1580–90; heart + broken

Explanation

To be heartbroken is to be so sad that it feels like your heart has cracked inside your chest. You’d be heartbroken after a death, but you can also be heartbroken when you get dumped by your girlfriend or boyfriend. Waaaaaa. When someone is heartbroken, they are deeply sorrowful or distressed. Feeling heartbroken about a tragic accident or disaster is an understandable response, and being heartbroken after a romantic breakup is basically inevitable. The word heartbroken has been used since the late 1500s, and it comes from heartbreak, which is rooted in the Old English heorte, "heart" and also "spirit" or "soul."

Example Sentences

Composer Shankar Mahadevan said "every Indian is heartbroken today", adding that her music would "never perish as long as humanity exists" and that she would "live forever, with her incredible voice echoing across the world".

From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026

She says she never imagined living through a moment that would leave her feeling both heartbroken and profoundly proud of her city.

From Salon • Apr. 6, 2026

Canadians were shocked and heartbroken for the two young pilots who died, Antoine Forest and Mackenzie Gunther, and deeply concerned about flight attendant Solange Tremblay and others who were injured.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, said that that period left him feeling “really heartbroken by everything that occurred.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026

Dumpers may not always be the heartbreakers, and the Dumpees may not always be the heartbroken.

From "An Abundance of Katherines" by John Green

Related Words

• grief-stricken
• sad