heartbreaking adjective 1noun 1forms 3 adjective1 •That causes great grief, anguish or distress.But even with these caveats, it remains a stunning and heartbreaking piece of cinema that strikes a particular chord with LGBTQ+ viewers. — 2025 noun1 •The breaking of a heart; great grief, anguish or distress.One could argue that Eliot's "great heartbreakings" were the overt physical signs of the inner psychological transformations achieved through brainwashing, cultural attack, and epidemic mortality. — 1999 formsheartbreakings · more heartbreaking · most heartbreaking