50 Idioms for Broken Heart (Meanings and Examples)

Idioms are special phrases where the words together have a different meaning than the words do on their own. People use them to make conversation more colorful, expressive, and fun. In this article, you will learn fifty different idioms that are perfect for describing deep sadness and a broken heart.

In this lesson, we’ll look at idioms that mean feeling heartbroken. Let’s get started and explore some of these helpful expressions.

Idioms for Broken Heart

1. Broken heart

Definition: A feeling of deep sorrow and grief, usually after losing someone you love.

Used in a Sentence: She walked around with a broken heart after her puppy moved away to a new home. / Time helps heal a broken heart when you miss someone very much.

Similar Expressions: Heavy heart / Deep sorrow

2. Piece my heart

Definition: To try and feel better after suffering a painful emotional loss.

Used in a Sentence: It took him a long time to piece his heart back together after the sad news. / Writing in her journal helped her piece her heart together.

Similar Expressions: Heal up / Mend ties

3. Tear someone apart

Definition: To cause someone extreme emotional pain and distress.

Used in a Sentence: Watching her best friend move to another country really tore her apart. / The sad movie ending tore apart everyone in the audience.

Similar Expressions: Hurt deeply / Devastate someone

4. Cut to the quick

Definition: To hurt someone’s feelings very deeply and emotionally.

Used in a Sentence: His unkind words cut her to the quick when she tried to share her drawing. / Being left out of the game cut him to the quick.

Similar Expressions: Deeply hurt / Sting badly

5. Gut punched

Definition: To feel a sudden and painful wave of shock and sadness.

Used in a Sentence: Losing the championship game felt like being gut punched. / Hearing the bad news left her feeling completely gut punched.

Similar Expressions: Shocked and hurt / Stunned with grief

6. Crestfallen

Definition: Sad and disappointed after losing hope or facing rejection.

Used in a Sentence: He looked crestfallen when his favorite team lost in the final seconds. / She felt crestfallen when the trip was canceled.

Similar Expressions: Deeply disappointed / Sad-faced

7. Down in the dumps

Definition: Feeling extremely gloomy, sad, and unhappy.

Used in a Sentence: Maya felt down in the dumps after her best friend forgot her birthday. / Eating ice cream always helps when you are down in the dumps.

Similar Expressions: Feeling blue / Feeling low

8. Heavy heart

Definition: A feeling of sadness and worry that makes you feel weighted down.

Used in a Sentence: Sam walked home with a heavy heart after saying goodbye to his camp friends. / She carried a heavy heart all day because of the argument.

Similar Expressions: Sorrowful feeling / Sad burden

9. Bleeding heart

Definition: Showing extreme sympathy or sadness for the suffering of others.

Used in a Sentence: She has a bleeding heart for stray animals and wants to rescue them all. / He is a bleeding heart who always cries when characters are sad in stories.

Similar Expressions: Very sympathetic / Overly caring

10. Wear your heart on your sleeve

Definition: To make your feelings and sadness very obvious to everyone.

Used in a Sentence: When he is sad, he wears his heart on his sleeve and cannot hide it. / It is okay to wear your heart on your sleeve and show your emotions.

Similar Expressions: Show feelings / Be open

11. Eat your heart out

Definition: To suffer greatly from excessive worry, jealousy, or grief.

Used in a Sentence: Do not sit around and eat your heart out over a mistake you cannot fix. / She tried not to eat her heart out while waiting for test results.

Similar Expressions: Worry sick / Grieve deeply

12. Sick at heart

Definition: Feeling profoundly unhappy, disgusted, or troubled about something.

Used in a Sentence: I felt sick at heart when I saw the broken window and the scattered toys. / He was sick at heart after hearing about the lost puppy.

Similar Expressions: Deeply troubled / Miserable

13. Lose heart

Definition: To become discouraged and lose courage or hope.

Used in a Sentence: Do not lose heart just because your first painting did not turn out right. / Even when math got tough, she refused to lose heart.

Similar Expressions: Give up hope / Become discouraged

14. Take to heart

Definition: To feel criticism or sadness very deeply and personally.

Used in a Sentence: Do not take his grumpy comment to heart; he is just having a rough day. / She took the critique to heart and cried in her room.

Similar Expressions: Take personally / Feel deeply

15. Stab in the back

Definition: To betray someone who trusts you, causing emotional pain.

Used in a Sentence: Telling my secret to the whole class felt like a real stab in the back. / Trust is hard to rebuild after a friend gives you a stab in the back.

Similar Expressions: Betray someone / Double-cross

16. Pull at one’s heartstrings

Definition: To cause strong feelings of love, pity, or sadness.

Used in a Sentence: The commercial with the tiny rescue kitten really pulled at my heartstrings. / Sad stories about stray dogs always pull at his heartstrings.

Similar Expressions: Touch the heart / Move emotionally

17. Close to home

Definition: An event or story that causes personal sadness because it feels very real.

Used in a Sentence: The story about the lost dog hit close to home because our pet ran away last year. / Hearing about school closures hit close to home for us.

Similar Expressions: Personal / Affecting deeply

18. Hang your head

Definition: To feel ashamed, sad, or defeated.

Used in a Sentence: He had to hang his head after breaking the vase by accident. / Never hang your head; mistakes happen to everyone, and you can fix them.

Similar Expressions: Feel ashamed / Show defeat

19. Lump in your throat

Definition: A tight feeling in your throat caused by strong sad emotions or crying.

Used in a Sentence: I got a lump in my throat when the teacher praised my hard work. / She tried to swallow the lump in her throat during the sad song.

Similar Expressions: Choked up / Tearful

20. On the verge of tears

Definition: Very close to crying because of sadness or frustration.

Used in a Sentence: Missing her mom on the first day of camp left her on the verge of tears. / He was on the verge of tears when his tower blocks tumbled down.

Similar Expressions: Tearful / Ready to cry

21. Sob your heart out

Definition: To cry uncontrollably and deeply because of great sorrow.

Used in a Sentence: She went to her bedroom to sob her heart out after losing her favorite necklace. / It is okay to sob your heart out when you are hurting.

Similar Expressions: Cry hard / Weep bitterly

22. Weep bitter tears

Definition: To cry with great sadness and regret.

Used in a Sentence: He wept bitter tears when he realized he lost his grandfather’s watch. / Do not do things that will make you weep bitter tears later.

Similar Expressions: Cry with regret / Mourn deeply

23. Carry a heavy cross

Definition: To bear a difficult burden of sadness or trouble for a long time.

Used in a Sentence: Caring for an ailing pet can feel like carrying a heavy cross. / He carried a heavy cross of worry after the accident.

Similar Expressions: Bear a burden / Endure suffering

24. Smother your grief

Definition: To hide or try to ignore deep sadness inside yourself.

Used in a Sentence: Instead of talking about his feelings, he tried to smother his grief with video games. / Smothering your grief only makes it harder to heal later.

Similar Expressions: Hide sadness / Suppress pain

25. Nursing a broken heart

Definition: Taking time to heal and care for yourself after emotional hurt.

Used in a Sentence: She spent the weekend reading books and nursing a broken heart. / Give yourself patience when you are nursing a broken heart.

Similar Expressions: Healing up / Recovering from pain

26. Down in the mouth

Definition: Looking sad, gloomy, or unhappy.

Used in a Sentence: Why are you looking so down in the mouth this sunny morning? / He was down in the mouth after his ice cream cone fell on the pavement.

Similar Expressions: Looking sad / Unhappy expression

27. Face like a wet weekend

Definition: A humorous way to describe someone looking very miserable and sad.

Used in a Sentence: Leo walked into the kitchen with a face like a wet weekend after his game was canceled. / Cheer up and stop walking around with a face like a wet weekend!

Similar Expressions: Look miserable / Look glum

28. Cloud over

Definition: When someone’s face or mood suddenly turns sad and gloomy.

Used in a Sentence: Her happy expression clouded over when she heard the picnic was postponed. / His face clouded over as he read the sad letter.

Similar Expressions: Grow gloomy / Turn sad

29. Cast a shadow over

Definition: To bring sadness or worry to a happy occasion.

Used in a Sentence: The sudden rainstorm cast a shadow over our afternoon party. / Bad news can cast a shadow over an otherwise wonderful day.

Similar Expressions: Bring gloom / Dampen spirits

30. Put a damper on

Definition: To reduce excitement and cause disappointment or sadness.

Used in a Sentence: Losing my wallet put a damper on our trip to the amusement park. / Do not let one small mistake put a damper on your success.

Similar Expressions: Ruin the mood / Discourage

31. Feel blue

Definition: To feel sad, lonely, or melancholy.

Used in a Sentence: Listening to slow music sometimes makes me feel blue on rainy afternoons. / Call a friend when you feel blue to cheer up.

Similar Expressions: Feel sad / Feel low

32. In the doldrums

Definition: A state of gloomy inactivity and sadness.

Used in a Sentence: The whole house was in the doldrums after everyone caught the flu. / Playing outside can help you get out of the doldrums.

Similar Expressions: Feeling sluggish / In a slump

33. Out of sorts

Definition: Feeling slightly ill, grumpy, or unhappy.

Used in a Sentence: Grandma felt a bit out of sorts today and rested on the sofa. / Missing breakfast left me feeling out of sorts all morning.

Similar Expressions: Unwell / Glum

34. Sinking feeling

Definition: A sudden intuitive feeling that something bad or sad has happened.

Used in a Sentence: I had a sinking feeling when I checked my backpack and found no lunch. / He felt a sinking feeling as the bus drove away without him.

Similar Expressions: Dread / Bad intuition

35. Heart sinks

Definition: To feel a sudden rush of disappointment and sadness.

Used in a Sentence: My heart sank when I saw the closed sign at the ice cream shop. / Her heart sank as she realized she left her homework on the kitchen table.

Similar Expressions: Feel disappointed / Lose hope

36. Gutted

Definition: Feeling extremely disappointed, heartbroken, and devastated.

Used in a Sentence: We were completely gutted when our treehouse blew down in the wind. / He felt gutted after losing his favorite baseball card.

Similar Expressions: Devastated / Crushed

37. Crushed

Definition: Overwhelmed by intense emotional pain or disappointment.

Used in a Sentence: She felt crushed when her entry did not win the art contest. / Do not let rejection leave you feeling crushed for too long.

Similar Expressions: Devastated / Heartbroken

38. Devastated

Definition: Feeling shattered and overwhelmed by terrible grief or loss.

Used in a Sentence: The family was devastated when their old cat ran away. / Losing his project made him feel totally devastated.

Similar Expressions: Heartbroken / Shattered

39. At your wits end

Definition: Being so worried and stressed that you do not know what to do next.

Used in a Sentence: After hours of crying babies, the babysitter was at her wits end. / When you are at your wits end, take a deep breath and ask for help.

Similar Expressions: Overwhelmed / Out of ideas

40. Torn in two

Definition: Feeling deeply conflicted and emotionally hurt by a tough choice or loss.

Used in a Sentence: Moving to a new town left her feeling torn in two between old friends and new ones. / Deciding which parent to visit felt like being torn in two.

Similar Expressions: Conflicted / Heartbroken

41. Ghost of a chance

Definition: Having almost no hope left in a difficult situation.

Used in a Sentence: With only one second left, our team had a ghost of a chance to win. / Without studying, he had a ghost of a chance of passing.

Similar Expressions: No hope / Slim chance

42. Hope dashed

Definition: When your expectations and dreams are suddenly ruined.

Used in a Sentence: His hopes were dashed when the rainy weather canceled the outdoor campout. / Seeing the canceled flight left our travel hopes dashed.

Similar Expressions: Dreams ruined / Disappointed

43. Bitter pill to swallow

Definition: A very difficult and painful disappointment that you must accept.

Used in a Sentence: Losing the game after playing so hard was a bitter pill to swallow. / Apologizing for a mistake is a bitter pill to swallow sometimes.

Similar Expressions: Hard truth / Tough loss

44. Hard knock

Definition: A difficult and painful life lesson or disappointment.

Used in a Sentence: Learning that not everyone plays fair is a hard knock in life. / Handling rejection is just another hard knock on the path to growing up.

Similar Expressions: Tough lesson / Rough experience

45. Wounded pride

Definition: Feeling hurt, embarrassed, and sad about your ego or dignity.

Used in a Sentence: Tripping on stage left him with wounded pride more than any physical scratch. / Her wounded pride made her quiet after losing the debate.

Similar Expressions: Hurt ego / Embarrassed

46. Cut to the heart

Definition: To cause intense emotional pain and sorrow.

Used in a Sentence: The sad story of the stray puppy cut straight to my heart. / Hearing her unkind words cut to the heart.

Similar Expressions: Deeply touching / Painful emotionally

47. Grief-stricken

Definition: Overwhelmed by extreme sorrow and heartbreak.

Used in a Sentence: The grief-stricken family mourned their lost pet for weeks. / Seeing someone you love hurt leaves you feeling grief-stricken.

Similar Expressions: Heartbroken / Deeply mournful

48. Bleeding inside

Definition: Experiencing hidden emotional pain that others cannot see.

Used in a Sentence: He smiled for his friends, but he was bleeding inside over the bad news. / Sometimes people hide their sadness while bleeding inside.

Similar Expressions: Hurting secretly / Hidden pain

49. Shadow of your former self

Definition: Looking very sad, tired, and unhappy compared to how you used to be.

Used in a Sentence: After weeks of worrying, he looked like a shadow of his former self. / Taking care of your health helps you avoid becoming a shadow of your former self.

Similar Expressions: Drained / Exhausted with grief

50. World crashing down

Definition: Experiencing a sudden disaster or heartbreak that ruins your happiness.

Used in a Sentence: When she heard the terrible news, it felt like her world was crashing down. / Having your plans fail can make your world feel like it is crashing down.

Similar Expressions: Devastating loss / Everything falling apart

Exercise to Practice

1. She walked around with a broken heart after her puppy moved away to a new home.
2. It took him a long time to piece his heart together after the joyful news.
3. Watching her best friend move to another country really tore her apart.
4. His kind words cut her to the quick when she tried to share her drawing.
5. Losing the championship game felt like being gut punched.
6. He looked happy and cheerful when his favorite team lost in the final seconds.
7. Maya felt down in the dumps after her best friend forgot her birthday.
8. Sam walked home with a heavy heart after saying goodbye to his camp friends.
9. She has a bleeding heart for stray animals and wants to rescue them all.
10. When he is sad, he wears his heart on his sleeve and cannot hide it.
11. Do not sit around and eat your heart out over a mistake you cannot fix.
12. I felt happy and excited when I saw the broken window and the scattered toys.
13. Do not lose heart just because your first painting did not turn out right.
14. She took the critique to heart and cried in her room.
15. Telling my secret to the whole class felt like a real stab in the back.

Answer Key

1. True
2. False
3. True
4. False
5. True
6. False
7. True
8. True
9. True
10. True
11. True
12. False
13. True
14. True
15. True

Conclusion

Learning these idioms helps you describe deep sadness and a broken heart in a colorful and expressive way. Instead of using plain words, you can use unique phrases to talk about when emotional pain or disappointment happens.

Try using one or two of these expressions when telling a story or discussing feelings with friends. You will find that sharing your thoughts with creative language makes talking about difficult emotions much more meaningful.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some common idioms for a broken heart?

Some common idioms for a broken heart include feeling down in the dumps, having a heavy heart, and wearing your heart on your sleeve. These expressions help describe deep sadness and emotional pain.

Why do we use idioms in English?

Idioms make our language more colorful, fun, and expressive than using plain words. They let us share feelings and situations in a creative way.

How can I practice using idioms?

You can practice by using one new idiom each day in a sentence when talking to your friends or family. Writing short stories or doing practice exercises also helps you remember them.

Are idioms meant to be taken literally?

No, idioms should not be taken literally because their combined meaning is different from the individual words. For example, having a broken heart does not mean your physical organ is damaged.

Can idioms help me express difficult feelings better?

Yes, idioms give you fun and creative ways to explain how you feel when you are sad, disappointed, or going through a tough time.