heartsick

American  

[hahrt-sik] / ˈhɑrtˌsɪk /

adjective

1. extremely depressed or unhappy.

   Synonyms:

   dispirited, despondent, dejected

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heartsick British  

/ ˈhɑːtˌsɪk /

adjective

1. deeply dejected or despondent

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• heartsickening
  adjective
• heartsickness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of heartsick

First recorded in 1520–30; heart + sick ¹

Explanation

If you've lost someone you love, you'll be desperately sad, or heartsick. Your beloved grandmother's death or your best friend moving far away can both make you feel heartsick. Grief and loss are connected to the adjective heartsick. When someone's heartsick, they're not just bummed out — they are grieving and mournful. You could also describe this as being heartbroken or heavy-hearted. The heart is important here, because of the strong emotion associated with the word. Originally, heartsick literally meant "ill from heart disease."

Example Sentences

To the book’s heartsick narrator, Louise Brown, the man who embodies those old-fashioned virtues is Claude Collier, the 27-year-old layabout scion of an aristocratic New Orleans clan.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

Years later, on a different kind of bad day — heartsick, this time — I tried to recreate it.

From Salon • Mar. 31, 2026

Addressing fans through her On the Jlo newsletter, the singer wrote: "I am completely heartsick and devastated about letting you down."

From BBC • Jun. 1, 2024

As if in a cipher made up of different versions of himself, there’s an endless give-and-take between Idris the teacher and Idris the performer and Idris the writer and Idris the nerdy heartsick hip-hop stan.

From Seattle Times • May 8, 2024

Meanwhile, looking down at the melting ice cap, the flooded lowland forests, the swollen sea, she felt heartsick.

From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman