broken heart
Americannoun
-
devastating sorrow, especially from disappointment in love; heartbreak.
When you're young, you think you'll never recover from a broken heart.
Etymology
Origin of broken heart
First recorded in 1825–35
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"Ramadan without the Al-Aqsa Mosque is a very sad feeling, a feeling of having a broken heart," said worshipper Zeyad Mona.
From Barron's • Mar. 20, 2026
I conclude not with a joke but with a proverb at the essence of most Jewish jokes: What is as whole as a Jew with a broken heart?
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 21, 2025
"My mum and dad weren't together, so I always think it was a bit of a broken heart as well," said Meg.
From BBC • Dec. 20, 2025
The announcement concluded, saying “She will be missed so much our hearts are breaking” followed by three broken heart emojis.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 10, 2025
Then Magdalena began to cry like her tears were spilling out of her broken heart.
From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.