heartbreaking
adjective
heart·break·ing
ˈhärt-ˌbrā-kiŋ 
1
: causing intense sorrow or distress
heartbreaking news
a heartbreaking defeat
2
: producing an intense emotional reaction or response
heartbreaking beauty
Examples of heartbreaking in a Sentence
She wrote a heartbreaking story about the death of her grandfather.
It was heartbreaking to know that there was nothing I could do.
The team suffered another heartbreaking defeat.
Recent Examples on the Web
Add them to our list of heartbreaking restaurant closures.
—
Sarah Blaskovich, Dallas Morning News, 1 Jan. 2026
Schlossberg revealed that she was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia just weeks before her death, penning a heartbreaking New Yorker essay about the diagnosis while revealing she had been given one year to live.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 31 Dec. 2025
Part of what makes this one so heartbreaking is that the owner said the brewery simply couldn’t survive in a post-COVID economy, despite a loyal following and great beer.
—Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 31 Dec. 2025
In November 2025, Tatiana announced her terminal cancer diagnosis in a heartbreaking essay published by The New Yorker.
—Nicole Briese, PEOPLE, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heartbreaking
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Sarah Blaskovich, Dallas Morning News, 1 Jan. 2026
Schlossberg revealed that she was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia just weeks before her death, penning a heartbreaking New Yorker essay about the diagnosis while revealing she had been given one year to live.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 31 Dec. 2025
Part of what makes this one so heartbreaking is that the owner said the brewery simply couldn’t survive in a post-COVID economy, despite a loyal following and great beer.
—Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 31 Dec. 2025
In November 2025, Tatiana announced her terminal cancer diagnosis in a heartbreaking essay published by The New Yorker.
—Nicole Briese, PEOPLE, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heartbreaking
Cite this Entry
“Heartbreaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heartbreaking. Accessed 4 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share