Heartrending — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective /ˈhärt-ˌren-diŋ/ heart·rend·ing

Meaning & Definition of Heartrending

Heartrending (adjective)

  1. heartbreaking

Heartrending (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. causing unhappiness

    "couldn't bear to see the heartrending photos of victims of the famine"

    similar: depressing, dismal, drear, dreary, heartbreaking, 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. hard to accept or bear especially emotionally

    "a heartrending choice between saving his daughter or his son"

    similar: afflicting, agonizing, bitter, cruel, excruciating, galling, grievous, harrowing, harsh, hurtful, painful, tormenting, torturous
    related: insufferable, insupportable, intolerable, unacceptable, unbearable, unendurable, unsupportable, appalling, awful, bad, dire, dreadful, ghastly, horrible, miserable, nasty, rotten, severe, terrible, vile, wretched, acute, extreme, intense, piercing
    opposite: gratifying, pleasing, sweet
    near: bearable, endurable, supportable, sustainable, tolerable, livable, sufferable, survivable, acceptable, allowable, reasonable

  3. of a kind to cause great distress

    "heartrending memories of all the terrible crimes he'd committed and was sorry for now"

    similar: deplorable, distressful, distressing, grievous, heartbreaking, 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

  4. deserving of one's pity

    "the heartrending sight of a starving child holding out his hands for food"

    similar: heartbreaking, 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 Heartrending

The most common words with a similar meaning to Heartrending:

depressing, dismal, drear, dreary, heartbreaking, melancholy, mournful, pathetic, sad, saddening, sorry, tearful, teary, afflicting, agonizing, bitter, cruel, excruciating, galling, grievous, harrowing, harsh, hurtful, painful, tormenting, torturous, deplorable, distressful, distressing, lamentable, regrettable, tragic, unfortunate, unlucky, woeful, miserable, piteous, pitiable, pitiful, poor

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Heartrending

Words with the opposite meaning of Heartrending:

cheering, cheery, glad, happy, gratifying, pleasing, sweet

Related Words for Heartrending

discomforting, discomposing, disquieting, disturbing, perturbing, affecting, moving, poignant, touching, discouraging, disheartening, dispiriting, insufferable, insupportable, intolerable, unacceptable, unbearable, unendurable, unsupportable, appalling, awful, bad, dire, dreadful, ghastly, horrible, nasty, rotten, severe, terrible

Near Antonyms of Heartrending

heartening, heartwarming, inspiring, stimulating, stirring, uplifting, agreeable, delightful, enjoyable, pleasant, pleasurable, satisfying, welcome, exhilarating, thrilling, bearable, endurable, supportable, sustainable, tolerable, livable, sufferable, survivable, acceptable, allowable, reasonable, rewarding, comforting, encouraging, fortunate

Word Forms of Heartrending

Derived words: heartrendingly (adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Heartrending

First known use: 1621

Frequently Asked Questions about Heartrending

What does "Heartrending" mean?

"Heartrending" means heartbreaking. As an adjective, it is defined as: heartbreaking. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Heartrending"?

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

What are different ways to say "Heartrending"?

There are 100 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Heartrending". Common alternatives include depressing, dismal, drear, dreary, heartbreaking, melancholy, mournful, pathetic, sad and saddening.

What is the opposite of "Heartrending"?

Antonyms of "Heartrending" include cheering, cheery, glad, happy, gratifying, pleasing and sweet. Near antonyms include heartening, heartwarming, inspiring and stimulating.

How do you use "Heartrending" in a sentence?

Examples of "Heartrending" in a sentence: "couldn't bear to see the heartrending photos of victims of the famine"; "a heartrending choice between saving his daughter or his son"; "heartrending memories of all the terrible crimes he'd committed and was sorry for now".

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

"Heartrending" is an adjective.

How do you pronounce "Heartrending"?

"Heartrending" is pronounced /ˈhärt-ˌren-diŋ/ and divided into syllables as heart·rend·ing.

What is the origin of the word "Heartrending"?

First known use: 1621.