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

"I go to the market only to look around because I cannot afford to buy anything. Whenever I ask about prices, I return heartbroken," Nadia Abu Shamala, a Palestinian resident of Gaza, told AFP.

From Barron's • May 27, 2026

He died a week later, with his parents saying in a joint statement they were "heartbroken".

From BBC • May 16, 2026

She “was shocked, heartbroken, and felt utterly betrayed,” and was motivated to reexamine and scrutinize archival “Avatar” materials.

From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026

"We are heartbroken to learn of the passing of Josh Mauro," the Cardinals said in a statement.

From BBC • Apr. 29, 2026

Zhenya Rudneva was utterly heartbroken by the death of the brave, eloquent, determined Galya Dokutovich, who’d suffered so much already and hadn’t let it stop her from flying.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein

Related Words

• grief-stricken
• sad