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Heartbreak Hotel

Heartbreak Hotel

1 8.2
A state of deep sadness people feel after a romantic breakup
  • idiom
  • /ˈhɑrtˌbreɪk hoʊˈtɛl/
  • Informal
translation icon : Hotel del Desamor
  • He often jokes that if he keeps dating like this, he'll be living in Heartbreak Hotel forever.

Examples

  • And after the first chorus of "Heartbreak Hotel," so was she.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • After her breakup, she felt like she had checked into Heartbreak Hotel for good.

  • Well, welcome to the Heartbreak Hotel.

  • Going to the Heartbreak Hotel?

  • The song was "Heartbreak Hotel."

    Fiction book (1995)
  • I'm going to the Heartbreak Hotel.

  • Each song reminds her of what she lost, making her feel like she is stuck in Heartbreak Hotel.

Synonyms

heartbreak
vsHeartbreak Hotel
76 3.9

A very strong sadness after losing someone you love

refers to a metaphorical place of deep distress after romantic breakup
broken heart
vsHeartbreak Hotel
64 3.4

Deep sadness and pain you feel after losing or being rejected by someone you love

means a metaphorical state or place of deep distress after a breakup
brokenheartedness
vsHeartbreak Hotel
7.5

Deep sadness after losing someone you love

covers a metaphorical, ongoing place of emotional distress after romantic endings
calvary of heartbreak
vsHeartbreak Hotel
  • Literature
9.9

A long, very painful time after a big emotional loss

is a metaphorical name for being in deep distress after romantic breakup

How Distressed

despair
210 3.5
Heartbreak Hotel
  • Informal
1 8.2
sadness
229 1.0

Surface Forms

Morphology

heartbreak + Hotel

The phrase combines 'heartbreak' (sorrow from romantic loss) with 'hotel' (a place to stay), yielding a straightforward metaphorical place/state associated with sorrow after a breakup. This noun+noun composition follows a clear, productive pattern and a B1 learner who knows both words can readily infer the intended meaning.

Etymology

The name Heartbreak Hotel gives a clear picture: a hotel where people with heartbreak stay after a breakup. So it means 'a place or time of deep sadness after a breakup'.