broken-hearted

IPA/ˌbrəʊkən ˈhɑːtɪd/
IPA/ˌbrəʊkən ˈhɑːrtɪd/

broken-hearted — adjective

1. feeling very sad and without hope, typically because a romantic relationship has

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

feeling very sad and without hope, typically because a romantic relationship has ended or a loved one has died

Example

Quinn felt utterly broken-hearted when their childhood dog passed away.

collocation: utterly broken-hearted

After the breakup, Yael stayed in bed all day, too broken-hearted to face the world.

Common collocations
  • utterly broken-hearted
  • completely broken-hearted
  • leave someone broken-hearted
  • feel broken-hearted
Synonyms
  • heartbroken

    more common in everyday speech; interchangeable in meaning

  • devastated

    stronger, suggests shock and emotional destruction; can be used for non-romantic losses

  • grief-stricken

    more formal register; almost always associated with bereavement

Antonyms
  • overjoyed

    opposite emotional extreme

  • elated

    formal opposite; suggests triumphant happiness

Grammar Patterns

be + broken-hearted

feel + broken-hearted

broken-hearted + noun

Usage Note

Unlike 'sad', which covers everyday disappointment, 'broken-hearted' is reserved for profound emotional pain — typically from the loss of a relationship or the death of someone close. It should not be used for minor frustrations.

Common Mistakes

He felt broken hearted when his girlfriend left him.
He felt broken-hearted when his girlfriend left him.
The compound adjective needs a hyphen whether it appears before a noun or after a linking verb.
I was broken-hearted when I missed the bus.
I was broken-hearted when my grandmother passed away.
'broken-hearted' describes extreme grief, not everyday frustration.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

While 'broken-hearted', 'heartbroken', 'devastated', and 'grief-stricken' all describe extreme emotional pain, they differ in register, intensity, and context. 'Heartbroken' is the most common and neutral term, used for both romantic loss and personal disappointment. 'Broken-hearted' (with a hyphen) is largely interchangeable but slightly more literary or formal. 'Devastated' implies shock and destruction — as if one's emotional world has been ruined — and can be used for non-personal losses like a failed career. 'Grief-stricken' is the most formal and specific, almost always associated with bereavement. For example: 'She was heartbroken when he moved away' versus 'The grief-stricken widow could not attend the funeral.'

heartbroken ↗devastated ↗grief-stricken ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Prepositions

Etymology

English

Formed in English from the past participle 'broken' + 'hearted', following the pattern of compound adjectives describing emotional states (cf. 'hard-hearted', 'kind-hearted'). First recorded in the 16th century.