Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective Causing anguish or deep distress; arousing deep sympathy.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective Having a strong effect upon the emotions, inclining one to sadness or pity;
heart-breaking .
Etymologies
Sorry, no etymologies found.
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Examples
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A heart-rending spectacle of obligatory pleasure taken very seriously, like National Service or a dose of cod liver oil.
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That programme about the children in Thailand must have been so upsetting – the story of innocence destroyed is just heart-rending.
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I had also collected from my Mother the original censored telegrams (on pre-prepared Japanese Forms) that Dad had been allowed to eventually send from the camp to advise that he was alive (no emails/mobiles or Sky News in those days), as well as the heart-rending letters sent over time from his Mum and Dad written to him in hope, not knowing the fate of their only son.
TRIP TO KINKASEKI - TAIWAN - NOVEMBER 2009 Peter Bowkett 2009
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The Sandman Vol. 6 Fables & Reflections: "The Emperor of the United States of America" - up till then I liked the stories well enough, well told, fascinating craft at work - this was heart-rending in an uplifting, wonderful way, to carve out a purpose in life, even a phantom one. and to the poster who wrote:
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"And yet, at a time when market pressures demand that new books be both funny and heart-rending, featuring characters who suffer and prevail, it is encouraging to come across writing that does not try to distract the reader from realising that death marches, the Kindertransport and the attentions of the secret police do something to a person, and those who love them."
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Those final moments are heart-rending for their beauty, and their poignancy in the overall story.
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I have no idea whether other people with high-functioning autism see the world this way; the viewpoint is the young author's own, and I found the book, published for the young adult market, consistently funny and heart-rending.
Chicken Spaghetti: 2009
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It was interesting to read it while watching the end of BSG: it approaches the divide between robot and human in very different (and heart-rending) ways.
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I have no idea whether other people with high-functioning autism see the world this way; the viewpoint is the young author's own, and I found the book, published for the young adult market, consistently funny and heart-rending.
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An ability to pivot drastically without strain—to go from black comedy to heart-rending affirmation—was one of Mr. Kubrick's great gifts as a filmmaker.
A Great Film's Sadly Timeless Message David Mermelstein 2011
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