broken heart: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2Informal to Neutral; common in everyday speech, literature, music, and therapeutic contexts.
Quick answer
What does “broken heart” mean?
Intense emotional suffering or grief, typically caused by the loss of a romantic relationship, deep disappointment, or profound sadness.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
Intense emotional suffering or grief, typically caused by the loss of a romantic relationship, deep disappointment, or profound sadness.
A metaphorical state of deep sorrow, emotional devastation, or psychological pain that affects one's overall well-being, often described as if the emotional center (the heart) has been physically damaged.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical differences. Concept and usage are identical. Slight preference in UK English for 'heartbroken' as the related adjective.
Connotations
Identical connotations of deep sadness, loss, and emotional pain in both varieties.
Frequency
Equally common in both varieties. Pervasive in pop culture, self-help literature, and everyday conversation.
Grammar
How to Use “broken heart” in a Sentence
VERB + broken heart: have/suffer/mend/heal/nursePREP + broken heart: with a broken heart, from a broken heartof + broken heart: die of a broken heartVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “broken heart” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The film's ending absolutely broke my heart.
- She's terrified of breaking his heart.
American English
- It breaks my heart to see the city in such a state.
- He didn't mean to break her heart.
adverb
British English
- He stared heartbrokenly at the empty chair.
- She whispered heartbrokenly into the phone.
American English
- She shook her head heartbrokenly.
- He walked away heartbrokenly.
adjective
British English
- She gave a heartbroken sigh.
- The heartbroken family asked for privacy.
American English
- He was absolutely heartbroken after the loss.
- Her heartbroken expression said it all.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare, except metaphorically in leadership contexts ('The layoffs left the team with broken hearts.').
Academic
Used in psychology, literature, and sociology to discuss emotional trauma, grief studies, and metaphorical language.
Everyday
Very common to describe romantic breakups, personal losses, or deep disappointments.
Technical
Not a clinical term, though referenced in discussions of 'Takotsubo cardiomyopathy' (stress-induced heart condition).
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “broken heart”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “broken heart”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “broken heart”
- Using it as a verb (*'I was broken-hearted by the news' is correct; *'The news broken-hearted me' is not).
- Confusing with 'heartbreak' (the event or cause) vs. 'broken heart' (the resulting state).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Not literally, but extreme emotional stress can trigger 'Takotsubo cardiomyopathy' or 'broken heart syndrome', a temporary heart condition with similar symptoms to a heart attack.
Yes. While most commonly romantic, it can describe profound grief from any loss (e.g., death of a pet, a failed dream, betrayal by a friend).
'Heartbreak' often refers to the event or intense emotional pain itself ('the heartbreak of losing a parent'). 'A broken heart' refers more to the resulting state or condition of the person ('she walked around with a broken heart').
Yes, in plural or passive constructions (e.g., 'Many hearts were broken that night.'). The phrase remains 'heart(s) broken', not 'broken heart(s)' in this syntactic order.
Intense emotional suffering or grief, typically caused by the loss of a romantic relationship, deep disappointment, or profound sadness.
Broken heart is usually informal to neutral; common in everyday speech, literature, music, and therapeutic contexts. in register.
Broken heart: in British English it is pronounced /ˌbrəʊ.kən ˈhɑːt/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌbroʊ.kən ˈhɑːrt/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Die of a broken heart”
- “Mend a broken heart”
- “Wear your heart on your sleeve”
- “Have a change of heart”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a classic Valentine's heart symbol with a visible crack running through it.
Conceptual Metaphor
EMOTIONAL PAIN IS PHYSICAL DAMAGE / THE HEART IS A CONTAINER FOR EMOTIONS / LOSS IS BREAKAGE.
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is NOT a typical conceptual metaphor associated with 'broken heart'?