Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Causing overwhelming grief or distress.
  • adjective Producing a strong emotional reaction.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Same as heartbreak.
  • Causing great grief or anguish; very distressing or pitiful.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Causing overpowering sorrow.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective That causes great grief, anguish or distress.
  • noun The breaking of a heart; great grief, anguish or distress.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective causing or marked by grief or anguish

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

heart +‎ breaking

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Examples

  • Virginia (5-4, 3-2) had its four-game winning streak end, and in heartbreaking fashion, too, after shutting down the ACC's best scoring offense until the very end.

    USATODAY.com 2008

  • Also heartbreaking is the moment when he's kneeling in front of her, holding her as he must have done as a child, with his head in her lap, so upset -- and we feel the full effect of his estrangement from her.

    Brief thoughts of a Bardish nature karenmiller 2008

  • And the title story, “Jesus Out To Sea,” is just plain heartbreaking, no matter how many times you read it.

    Kristine Kathryn Rusch » 2008 » June 2008

  • Having watched reasonably moderate candidates lose the last two presidential elections in heartbreaking fashion, and feeling further frustrated by the steady failure to win either house of Congress, Democrats have made it an article of faith that they lack the political and policy mechanisms to compete with their Republican counterparts.

    Take Two: Hillary's Choice 2006

  • Having watched reasonably moderate candidates lose the last two presidential elections in heartbreaking fashion, and feeling further frustrated by the steady failure to win either house of Congress, Democrats have made it an article of faith that they lack the political and policy mechanisms to compete with their Republican counterparts.

    Take Two: Hillary's Choice 2006

  • Having watched reasonably moderate candidates lose the last two presidential elections in heartbreaking fashion, and feeling further frustrated by the steady failure to win either house of Congress, Democrats have made it an article of faith that they lack the political and policy mechanisms to compete with their Republican counterparts.

    Take Two: Hillary's Choice 2006

  • The couple is calling on Prime Minister Stephen Harper to end the hunt, which they described as a heartbreaking slaughter.

    March 2006 Ed Hollett 2006

  • The San Francisco Chronicle wrote, "[Bohjalian’s] hallmark: Ordinary people in heartbreaking circumstances behaving with grace and dignity."

    Before You Know Kindness by Chris Bohjalian: Questions 2004

  • Losing its last overtime matchup in heartbreaking fashion to

    USATODAY.com 2004

  • The couple is calling on Prime Minister Stephen Harper to end the hunt, which they described as a heartbreaking slaughter.

    Archive 2006-03-01 Ed Hollett 2006

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