heartbreak

noun

heart·​break ˈhärt-ˌbrāk 

: crushing grief, anguish, or distress

Synonyms

• affliction
• anguish
• dolefulness
• dolor
• grief
• heartache
• sorriness
• sorrow
• woe

Examples of heartbreak in a Sentence

He recently suffered a string of romantic heartbreaks.

I understand the heartbreak you must feel over your grandmother's death.

Recent Examples on the Web

Just as her head was turning away from any future on the NFL field, heartbreak urged her to reassess. —Zoey Lyttle, People.com, 7 Jan. 2025

The yearning at the center of Bad Bunny’s music is on heavy rotation on DTMF with songs steeped in haunting heartbreak and regret. —Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 6 Jan. 2025

Instead, they are set to chicha music, a popular genre of cumbia that combines traditional Andean sounds with techno-psychedelic instrumentals, and is known for lyrics about heartbreak and migration. —Jordan Salama, The New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2025

This world is still going on in a broken way that is full of heartbreak. —NBC News, 29 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

heartbreak

noun

heart·​break -ˌbrāk 

: crushing grief, anguish, or distress

heartbreaking

-ˌbrā-kiŋ

adjective

heartbreakingly adverb

heartbroken

-ˌbrō-kən

adjective