Definition

Noun: 1. Intense emotional pain and sadness: A state of overwhelming grief, sorrow, and despair, typically resulting from the loss of a romantic relationship, the death of a loved one, or a profound disappointment. 2. The feeling of a shattered emotional state: The metaphorical experience of one's heart being "broken" due to deep emotional hurt, leading to feelings of loneliness, hopelessness, and devastation.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • She is still healing from a broken heart after the end of her long-term relationship.
  • The sad song perfectly expressed the feeling of a broken heart.
  • Time is often said to be the best healer for a broken heart.

Advanced Usage

• "to die of a broken heart": To suffer so greatly from grief or emotional pain that it is said to cause one's death, either literally (in rare, extreme cases) or figuratively.
  • In the old story, the character was said to have died of a broken heart after her lover was lost at sea.
• "to have one's heart broken": To experience the event that causes this intense emotional pain.
  • He had his heart broken when his best friend moved away without saying goodbye.

Variants and Related Words

• Heartbreak (n): The event or experience that causes a broken heart; the state of suffering from one.
  • The heartbreak of losing the championship was difficult for the team.
• Heartbroken (adj): Suffering from a broken heart; deeply saddened and distressed.
  • She was heartbroken when her pet passed away.
• Heartbreaker (n): A person who is the cause of someone's broken heart.
  • He earned a reputation as a heartbreaker after several short-lived romances.

Synonyms

• Heartache: Emotional anguish or distress.
• Grief: Deep sorrow, especially caused by someone's death.
• Despair: The complete loss or absence of hope.
• Devastation: Severe and overwhelming shock or grief.

Related Phrases

• Mend a broken heart / Heal a broken heart: To recover from the emotional pain.
  • She traveled to mend her broken heart.
• Suffer from a broken heart: To endure the pain of a broken heart.
  • He was suffering from a broken heart for months.

Related Idioms

• Wear one's heart on one's sleeve: To openly show one's feelings, making one vulnerable to getting a broken heart.
  • She always wears her heart on her sleeve, so she gets hurt easily.
• Cross my heart (and hope to die): A phrase used to emphasize that one is telling the truth, often invoking the seriousness of the heart as a symbol.
  • I promise I didn't take it, cross my heart!

Noun

1. devastating sorrow and despair
   • he is recovering from a broken heart
   • a broken heart languishes here