heartrending

adjective

ˈhärt-ˌren-diŋ How to pronounce heartrending (audio)
Definition of heartrendingnext
1
as in sad
causing unhappiness couldn't bear to see the heartrending photos of victims of the famine

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2
as in painful
hard to accept or bear especially emotionally a heartrending choice between saving his daughter or his son

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3
as in tragic
of a kind to cause great distress heartrending memories of all the terrible crimes he'd committed and was sorry for now

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4
as in pathetic
deserving of one's pity the heartrending sight of a starving child holding out his hands for food

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of heartrending In the film’s most heartrending passage, when her odyssey has ended, this little girl, in a moment of quiet grace, sees just that. — Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor, 5 Feb. 2026 For Emma, the heartrending decision became clear came the night the police descended on her North Miami neighborhood. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2026 His appearance, stopping them in their tracks, is one of the most heartrending moments of any movie. — John Penner, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026 The air was cooler up here, the signage sparing, the views of granite domes and uninterrupted forest vast and heartrending. — Gloria Liu, Outside Online, 22 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for heartrending
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heartrending
  1. sad
  2. painful
  3. tragic
  4. pathetic
  5. depressing
  6. harsh
  7. unfortunate
  8. poor
Adjective
  • This formula carried his last offering, the funny and sad, Colin Farrell-led The Banshees of Inisherin to nine Oscar nominations in 2022.
    — Radhika Seth, Vogue, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Hunter said it’s been sad to see photos of the devastation wrought by the fire.
    — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of sad
Adjective
  • Be sure to start below the injury and wrap upward, overlapping each layer but never so tightly that fingers or toes become numb or painful.
    — Dr. Jill Grimes, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Its absence does not make the eventual adjustment less painful.
    — MICHAEL PETTIS, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of painful
Adjective
  • Our thoughts remain with everyone affected by this tragic event.
    — James Cirrone, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Deep in the Pyrenees mountains, a young man, Miquel, struggles in the wake of his mother’s death in a snowstorm — a tragic event that was at the center of Tóibín’s 2006 novella, A Long Winter.
    — Mary Lawrence Ware, semafor.com, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of tragic
Adjective
  • Billboards along Southern California freeways have broadcast the Angels’ desperate attempts to draw in fans via pathetic promotions.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The outfield production continues to be a concern, and the overall offensive production is pathetic.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of pathetic
Adjective
  • Climate change, depressing and overwhelming, falls into that category.
    — Peter Prengaman, Fortune, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Keegan’s first decision at Newcastle as manager in 1992 was to fumigate the depressing training ground.
    — Michael Walker, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of depressing
Adjective
  • Scott London Every year, Black Rock City appears on a dry lakebed in one of Nevada’s harshest areas, then disappears just as fast.
    — Jim Dobson, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Hig has bunkered down with a grouchy companion, Bangley (Josh Brolin), who thrives in this harsh world.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of harsh
Adjective
  • There are no Cubs players involved in the TikTok series, the Cubs told me, which is unfortunate since Crow-Armstrong has acting in his DNA — his mother and father are both actors — and probably would be at least as good as Damon.
    — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Every mosquito has a type Count me among the unfortunate souls who are mosquito magnets; something about my body chemistry is irresistible to those tiny bloodsucking fiends.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of unfortunate
Adjective
  • Dozens of companies have withdrawn over the past decades due to poor profits, an uncertain business outlook and concerns about harm to their reputations from making arms, especially lethal weapons.
    — Mia Osmonbekov, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Along the way, the audience can expect tons of humiliation, terrible second prizes, and the guarantee that Robertson will turn at least one poor soul's wrong turn into several minutes of unhinged public destruction.
    — Rebecca Rosman, NPR, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of poor

Browse Nearby Words

heartlessness
heartrending
hearts
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Cite this Entry

“Heartrending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heartrending. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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