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

• heartbrokenness
  noun
• heartbrokenly
  adverb

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

See Examples For:

heartbroken

“We are deeply heartbroken by the loss of our beloved Fiona,” Lowe, the Emmy-winning star of “Life Goes On,” and his family said in a Sept. 29 statement announcing Fiona’s death.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026

The Daily Express focuses on the statement from Dame Esther's three "heartbroken" children, who have said their mother had an "endless capacity for love and joy".

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

Watt said he was "heartbroken" after the collapse and apologised to staff and investors.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

In a poetic twist, Journey’s highest-charting hit was blocked from No. 1 by the J. Geils Band’s “Centerfold,” in which the heartbroken narrator goes laughing all the way to his bed.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

And Lucas Cader was as heartbroken over Gabriel as I was, if not more so.

From "Where Things Come Back" by John Corey Whaley

Related Words

• grief-stricken
• sad