1
as in sad
causing unhappiness
a heartbreaking story of a family torn asunder by war
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in tragic
of a kind to cause great distress
the heartbreaking state of Main Street now that most of the businesses have closed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in pathetic
deserving of one's pity
a heartbreaking attempt to escape that ends in disaster
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of heartbreaking
For many fans and fellow skiers, the images of one of the sport’s greatest champions screaming on the snow were heartbreaking.
—
Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 9 Feb. 2026
And that’s a heartbreaking loss for our team.
—Aaron Beard, Chicago Tribune, 8 Feb. 2026
The day after 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie was taken from her Tucson, Arizona, home under the cover of night, her daughter, Savannah, made a heartbreaking appeal to pray for her mother.
—Chelsea Bailey, CNN Money, 7 Feb. 2026
The timing of the injury has to be particularly heartbreaking for Zacha, who has been one of the B’s most durable players in his three plus seasons here.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for heartbreaking
Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 9 Feb. 2026
And that’s a heartbreaking loss for our team.
—Aaron Beard, Chicago Tribune, 8 Feb. 2026
The day after 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie was taken from her Tucson, Arizona, home under the cover of night, her daughter, Savannah, made a heartbreaking appeal to pray for her mother.
—Chelsea Bailey, CNN Money, 7 Feb. 2026
The timing of the injury has to be particularly heartbreaking for Zacha, who has been one of the B’s most durable players in his three plus seasons here.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for heartbreaking
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heartbreaking
Adjective
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Meanwhile, Nancy Guthrie's Arizona community gathered for a vigil Wednesday evening while the world can't look away from an incident that is deeply, horrifically sad and frightening.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
5 Feb. 2026
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The song is sophisticated and simple, sad and somehow triumphant.—
Jed Gottlieb,
Boston Herald,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The fire department believes the tragic crash was an accident, not an intentional criminal act.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
6 Feb. 2026
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At first, that seems at odds with Aleys’s tragic fate.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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These clowns don't even have the courage of their pathetic White supremacist convictions.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
6 Feb. 2026
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This kind of Jim Crow–style dehumanization is pathetic and a disgrace to the office.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Firstly, the jail is depressing and the people who work there are not always nice, particularly to reporters.—
Marla Jo Fisher,
Oc Register,
11 Feb. 2026
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Despite this, black-market Stingers have had a depressing tendency to surface in conflicts around the world.—
David Szondy
February 08,
New Atlas,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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And that’s how the forward ended up under a too-bright light at the end of this season, burdened with the unfortunate responsibility of being one of the few players the front office felt was worth investing in long term.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
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After Ellis’ unfortunate and sudden passing in 1986, Marc Jacobs was named creative director of the brand in 1988.—
Fairchild Studio,
Footwear News,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Mercy came via a bye week, the pitiful Raiders and an inept Cowboys defense.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Jan. 2026
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Writer-director Craig Brewer resists the temptation to make Mike and Claire in any way pitiful or worthy of derision.—
Peter Tonguette,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Semmann said stores raise prices primarily in response to supply chain issues, such as poor harvests, changes to international trade policy or increasing logistical costs.—
Francesca Pica,
jsonline.com,
10 Feb. 2026
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Boating conditions are poor across offshore waters south of Cape Canaveral, while small craft need to exercise caution near the inlets.—
Garfield Hylton,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Wearing them for an hour is miserable, let alone a whole day.—
Reece Andavolgyi,
InStyle,
8 Feb. 2026
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And finally, the charges dismissed but his family gone, Campbell won a miserable kind of freedom.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Heartbreaking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heartbreaking. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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