Heartbreaking — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective /ˈhärt-ˌbrā-kiŋ/ heart·break·ing

Meaning & Definition of Heartbreaking

Heartbreaking (adjective)

  1. causing intense sorrow or distress
  2. producing an intense emotional reaction or response

Heartbreaking (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. causing unhappiness

    "a heartbreaking story of a family torn asunder by war"

    similar: depressing, dismal, drear, dreary, heartrending, melancholy, mournful, pathetic, sad, saddening, sorry, tearful, teary
    related: deplorable, distressful, grievous, lamentable, unfortunate, woeful, discomforting, discomposing, disquieting, distressing, disturbing, perturbing, affecting, moving, poignant, touching, discouraging, disheartening, dispiriting
    opposite: cheering, cheery, glad, happy
    near: heartening, heartwarming, inspiring, stimulating, stirring, uplifting, agreeable, delightful, enjoyable, pleasant, pleasing, pleasurable, satisfying, welcome, exhilarating, thrilling

  2. of a kind to cause great distress

    "the heartbreaking state of Main Street now that most of the businesses have closed"

    similar: deplorable, distressful, distressing, grievous, heartrending, lamentable, regrettable, tragic, unfortunate, unlucky, woeful
    related: troublesome, vexatious, affecting, doleful, moving, piteous, poignant, ruthful, touching, awful, dire, dreadful, fearful, severe, terrible, alarming, disturbing, perturbing, traumatic, unsettling, crushing, excruciating, harrowing, horrible, horrifying, intolerable, overwhelming, shocking, sickening, unbearable, miserable, pitiful, sad, wretched, calamitous, disastrous, painful, raging, sharp
    near: gratifying, pleasing, rewarding, satisfying, comforting, encouraging, heartening, cheering, heartwarming, inspiring, fortunate, happy, lucky

  3. deserving of one's pity

    "a heartbreaking attempt to escape that ends in disaster"

    similar: heartrending, miserable, pathetic, piteous, pitiable, pitiful, poor, rueful, sorry, wretched
    related: deplorable, lamentable, regrettable, emotional, impressive, inspiring, affecting, moving, poignant, stirring, touching, awful, horrible, terrible, distressing, disturbing, upsetting, grievous, mournful, sad, sorrowful, woeful
    near: unimpressive, uninspiring

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Heartbreaking

The most common words with a similar meaning to Heartbreaking:

depressing, dismal, drear, dreary, heartrending, melancholy, mournful, pathetic, sad, saddening, sorry, tearful, teary, deplorable, distressful, distressing, grievous, lamentable, regrettable, tragic, unfortunate, unlucky, woeful, miserable, piteous, pitiable, pitiful, poor, rueful, wretched

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Heartbreaking

Words with the opposite meaning of Heartbreaking:

cheering, cheery, glad, happy

Related Words for Heartbreaking

discomforting, discomposing, disquieting, disturbing, perturbing, affecting, moving, poignant, touching, discouraging, disheartening, dispiriting, troublesome, vexatious, doleful, ruthful, awful, dire, dreadful, fearful, severe, terrible, alarming, traumatic, unsettling, crushing, excruciating, harrowing, horrible, horrifying

Near Antonyms of Heartbreaking

heartening, heartwarming, inspiring, stimulating, stirring, uplifting, agreeable, delightful, enjoyable, pleasant, pleasing, pleasurable, satisfying, welcome, exhilarating, thrilling, gratifying, rewarding, comforting, encouraging, fortunate, lucky, unimpressive, uninspiring

Word Forms of Heartbreaking

Derived words: heartbreakingly (adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Heartbreaking

First known use: 1591

Frequently Asked Questions about Heartbreaking

What does "Heartbreaking" mean?

"Heartbreaking" means causing intense sorrow or distress. As an adjective, it is defined as: causing intense sorrow or distress. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Heartbreaking"?

Other words for "Heartbreaking" include depressing, dismal, drear, dreary, heartrending, melancholy, mournful and pathetic. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Heartbreaking" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Heartbreaking"?

There are 76 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Heartbreaking". Common alternatives include depressing, dismal, drear, dreary, heartrending, melancholy, mournful, pathetic, sad and saddening.

What is the opposite of "Heartbreaking"?

Antonyms of "Heartbreaking" include cheering, cheery, glad and happy. Near antonyms include heartening, heartwarming, inspiring and stimulating.

How do you use "Heartbreaking" in a sentence?

Examples of "Heartbreaking" in a sentence: "a heartbreaking story of a family torn asunder by war"; "the heartbreaking state of Main Street now that most of the businesses have closed"; "a heartbreaking attempt to escape that ends in disaster".

Is "Heartbreaking" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Heartbreaking" is an adjective.

How do you pronounce "Heartbreaking"?

"Heartbreaking" is pronounced /ˈhärt-ˌbrā-kiŋ/ and divided into syllables as heart·break·ing.

What is the origin of the word "Heartbreaking"?

First known use: 1591.