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

Derived 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

"They were just heartbroken," Susanna says, remembering their reaction to hearing what had happened.

From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026

“We are heartbroken over the passing of Stacey King, a true Oklahoma legend,” current Sooners coach Porter Moser said in a statement.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026

"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

“We feel heartbroken for the family who lost a child here,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2026

Often the boy reported back that the children were crying, “evidently heartbroken and homesick to see their mother, or hear from her,” Geyer wrote.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

Related Words

• grief-stricken
• sad