is very heartbreaking

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "is very heartbreaking" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to express strong emotional distress or sadness about a situation or event. Example: "Hearing about the loss of the community center is very heartbreaking for all of us."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

"What's going on now," he said, "is very heartbreaking".

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

On the one hand, hearing those stories, bearing witness to those stories -- I can't stress that term enough, "bearing witness to them" -- was very heartbreaking.

Los Angeles Times

"It's very heartbreaking," Sergeant Reid said.

The New York Times

"It was very heartbreaking last time".

The Guardian

"For me, it's very heartbreaking," said Mickelson, a six-time runner-up in this championship.

The New York Times - Sports

But when the evidence of what happened in that building becomes more public, it's very heartbreaking stuff".

The New York Times

"The spate of events that unfolded and continue to unfold are very heartbreaking and upsetting," she said.

The New York Times

"It's very heartbreaking," she said, "to see someone survive such a terrible disease and then go like that".

The New York Times

It's very heartbreaking, there is a certain enthusiasm but we only managed to bring in four trucks so far that we have offloaded.

The Guardian

For her part, a tearful Janelle admitted that "it would be very heartbreaking for me to see them not participate in something that's brought me a lot of joy".

Huffington Post

"It is really heartbreaking, actually".

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "is very heartbreaking" to convey a strong sense of sadness or emotional distress, especially when describing events or situations that evoke empathy.

Common error

Avoid using "is very heartbreaking" in overly casual or trivial situations. Reserve it for scenarios that genuinely warrant a strong emotional response to maintain its impact.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "is very heartbreaking" functions as a subjective assessment, characterizing a situation or event as causing significant emotional pain or sorrow. The Ludwig AI confirms its proper usage and expressiveness.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

80%

Science

10%

Formal & Business

5%

Less common in

Wiki

2%

Encyclopedias

1%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "is very heartbreaking" effectively conveys a strong sense of sadness and emotional distress, suitable for describing deeply upsetting situations. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, it is grammatically sound and commonly used, particularly in news and media contexts. While versatile, it's best reserved for scenarios that genuinely warrant a strong emotional response to maintain its impact. Semantically related alternatives, such as "is deeply saddening" or "is exceptionally tragic", can provide nuanced variations in expressing similar sentiments. While "is very heartbreaking" is deemed grammatically correct and appropriate, being mindful of context and register ensures its effective use.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

is deeply saddening

Replaces "heartbreaking" with "saddening" and "very" with "deeply" for emphasis.

is profoundly upsetting

Substitutes "heartbreaking" with "upsetting" and "very" with "profoundly" emphasizing the disturbance caused.

is acutely distressing

Replaces "heartbreaking" with "distressing" and "very" with "acutely" for a more clinical tone.

is exceptionally tragic

Replaces "heartbreaking" with "tragic" and "very" with "exceptionally", highlighting the severity of the situation.

is devastating to witness

Shifts focus to the act of witnessing something devastating, rather than just the feeling of heartbreak.

elicits deep sorrow

Changes the structure to focus on eliciting sorrow, rather than being heartbreaking.

is a source of immense grief

Highlights the phrase as a source of grief, using stronger emotional language.

is a cause for great lament

Uses a more formal and literary tone to express deep sorrow.

breaks one's heart

Employs a more figurative expression to convey the feeling of heartbreak.

is extremely painful

Focuses on the painful emotional experience, simplifying the language.

FAQs

What does "is very heartbreaking" mean?

The phrase "is very heartbreaking" describes something that causes intense sadness or emotional pain.

When should I use the phrase "is very heartbreaking"?

Use "is very heartbreaking" when you want to express a strong feeling of sadness or devastation about a particular situation, event or piece of news. It's suitable when the situation genuinely warrants an emotional response.

What can I say instead of "is very heartbreaking"?

You can use alternatives like "is deeply saddening", "is profoundly upsetting", or "is exceptionally tragic" depending on the context.

Is there a difference between "is heartbreaking" and "is very heartbreaking"?

Yes, adding "very" intensifies the feeling. While "is heartbreaking" conveys sadness, "is very heartbreaking" emphasizes a deeper, more profound level of emotional distress.