Brokenhearted
Meaning
Feeling overwhelming sadness, grief, or despair, typically due to lost love or a profound personal disappointment.
Origin
The concept of a heart fracturing under emotional strain isn't just a metaphor; it's a feeling humanity has grappled with for millennia. Ancient texts, from Egyptian poetry to Greek tragedy, speak of hearts heavy with sorrow, but it was the Judeo-Christian tradition that truly cemented the 'broken heart' in the Western imagination. The Hebrew Bible, particularly Psalm 34:18, declares that 'The Lord is close to the brokenhearted,' portraying a heart shattered by grief as a specific, profound state of being. This potent imagery infused English religious texts during the 16th century, giving birth to the compound word 'brokenhearted.' It quickly escaped the scriptures, embraced by playwrights and poets who found in it the perfect, vivid shorthand for the most profound depths of love lost and sorrow felt.
Examples
- After the sudden breakup, she was completely brokenhearted and withdrew from all her friends.
- The news of his pet's disappearance left the child utterly brokenhearted for days.