broken heart

noun

1. devastating sorrow, especially from disappointment in love; heartbreak:

   When you're young, you think you'll never recover from a broken heart.

Word History and Origins

Origin of broken heart¹

First recorded in 1825–35

Example Sentences

The family of Holly Bowles, 19, said it was with "broken hearts" that they confirmed her death, more than a week after she fell ill in the tourist town of Vang Vieng.

From BBC

Jones' family said in a statement Sunday evening, “Tonight, with full but broken hearts, we must share the news of our father and brother Quincy Jones’ passing.

From Salon

“Tribute is paid to all grandmothers, great-grandmothers, mothers and traditional healers who in times past could cure everything from a broken heart to clinical illnesses with the help of herbs, flowers, bark, etc.”

From Salon

Her mother — Foster’s grandmother — “died four and a half months later from a broken heart,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times

"It has been a salve to our broken hearts," she said.

From BBC

Related Words

• agony
• anguish
• bitterness
• despair
• grief
• heartache
• pain
• remorse
• sorrow
• suffering
• torment
• woe