broke someone's heart
Ended a relationship
To break someone's heart is to cause them deep emotional pain, typically through rejection, betrayal, or the end of a romantic relationship.
The phrase captures how grief can feel physical—a weight or ache in the chest: She broke his heart when she left.
It extends beyond romance to any profound disappointment: It broke my heart to see the old neighborhood demolished.
- sorrowDeep emotional distress
- betrayalBreaking of trust
- empty promisesInsincere verbal commitments
- rejectionDenial of acceptance
- cold shoulderIntentional dismissive treatment
grief · anguish · torn apart · separation · estrangement · despair · abandonment · left behind · unrequited love · loss · regret · letting go · devastation · infidelity · tragic romance · melancholy · sadness · divorce