heartrending

[ hahrt-ren-ding ]

adjective

1. causing or expressing intense grief, anguish, or distress.

Other Words From

• heartrending·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of heartrending¹

First recorded in 1680–90; heart + rending ( def )

Example Sentences

She delicately balances steeliness and vulnerability to deliver a heartrending performance.

From Los Angeles Times

In what is one of the most heartrending scenes in the franchise, two Ewoks are struck by an explosion as they’re scurrying for shelter.

From Salon

Reuters photographer Mohammed Salem captured this year’s prestigious World Press Photo of the Year award Thursday with a depiction of loss and sorrow in Gaza, a heartrending photo of a Palestinian woman cradling the body of her young niece.

From Seattle Times

And McCrimmon, whose voice grows more majestic and multi-hued as the musical’s emotion ramps up, delivers this aching anthem with heartrending virtuosity.

From Los Angeles Times

And there will undoubtedly be questions around one of the most contentious, and for bereaved families, heartrending decisions - the policy around the testing of patients discharged to care homes and the asymptomatic testing of all care home residents and staff.

From BBC

Related Words

• agonizing
• distressing
• excruciating
• harrowing
• heart-wrenching
• heartbreaking
• sad
• touching
• tragic