heartbreaking

[ hahrt-brey-king ]

adjective

1. causing intense anguish or sorrow.

Other Words From

• heartbreaking·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of heartbreaking¹

First recorded in 1600–10; heartbreak + -ing ²

Example Sentences

It was reliably and breathtakingly hilarious, heartfelt and often heartbreaking.

From Salon

Andrew Friedman did such a spectacular job in shaping such a special team, it would verge on heartbreaking if he allows some of their important free-agent pieces to go their separate ways.

From Los Angeles Times

"It's heartbreaking and infuriating to see social media flooded with hateful comments when we should be celebrating love, pride, and unity," it said.

From BBC

He continued: "Young families with kids, they have no idea until they get here that they’ve lost their money and they’re not going to go on holiday - it’s absolutely heartbreaking."

From BBC

"They're marked by progressive loss of motor functions -- from sitting, standing, and swallowing to even breathing -- as neurons in the nervous system die. Watching someone go through this is heartbreaking."

From Science Daily

Related Words

• affecting
• agonizing
• calamitous
• dire
• distressing
• heart-wrenching
• poignant
• sad
• touching
• tragic
• unfortunate