brokenhearted

American  

[broh-kuhn-hahr-tid] / ˈbroʊ kənˈhɑr tɪd /

adjective

1. burdened with great sorrow, grief, or disappointment.

   Synonyms:

   dejected, despondent, heartbroken, heartsick

---

brokenhearted British  

/ ˌbrəʊkənˈhɑːtɪd /

adjective

1. overwhelmed by grief or disappointment

---

Other Word Forms

• brokenheartedly adverb
• brokenheartedness noun

Etymology

Origin of brokenhearted

First recorded in 1520–30

Explanation

Are you so profoundly sad that it feels like a physical pain in your chest? You're brokenhearted. Someone might be brokenhearted about the death of a beloved cat or a falling out with an old friend. Another way to say brokenhearted is heartbroken. Either word is perfect for capturing the sensation that your heart has actually shattered from sorrow. It makes total sense to feel brokenhearted if your best friend snubs you or your favorite grandparent dies. This unhappy adjective has been around since the 1520s.

Example Sentences

An adolescent whose life is fractured after he survives an attack in a museum that took his mother, Theo is raised into Manhattan wealth but brokenhearted.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2025

Rollin had been dealing with pain from arthritis and a gastrointestinal condition, she said, and had been brokenhearted since the death of her husband, Harold Edwards, a mathematician, in 2020.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 7, 2023

Cage is deeply affecting, hiding waves of rage and resentment under a steely-soft demeanor in a heartbreaking story about a brokenhearted human.

From New York Times • Apr. 26, 2023

Whether you’re brokenhearted or not, jajangmyeon is a recipe for comfort.

From Washington Post • Apr. 6, 2023

Is this what it is to be brokenhearted?

From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black