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

• heartsickness
  noun
• heartsickening
  adjective

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

See Examples For:

heartsick

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

Montoya can at least claim to know the score, since he was a Spanish reality TV veteran before romantic distress transformed him into a heartsick Sonic the Hedgehog.

From Salon ● Mar. 13, 2025

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

That year, she also released her own song, Reason to Stay, a warm and soulful introduction to her heartsick love ballads.

From BBC ● Jan. 3, 2024

Or maybe he was heartsick, hating her for what her daddy did to her but still not willing to give her up.

From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns