Heartbreak
/ˈhɑːrt.breɪk/noun
Deep emotional anguish, especially from love or loss.
Did you know?Unlike words like “mortgage” or “disaster,” heartbreak is not an ancient occult compound; it’s a starkly literal English formation that became a universal shorthand for emotional devastation.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
heorte
“the heart, the organ and seat of feeling”
Old English
OE
brecan
“to break, shatter, or rend apart”
Middle English
ME
herte breken
“to break the heart; to cause deep sorrow”
16th Century
English
heart-broken
“crushed by grief or sorrow”
18th Century
English
heartbreak
“intense emotional pain, especially from love or loss”
Modern English
English
heartbreak
“deep emotional anguish, especially from love or loss”