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Glite Dictionary
heartsick

heartsick

6 6.3
Feeling very sad because of loss or disappointment
  • adjective
  • /ˈhɑrtˌsɪk/
translation icon : desolado
  • Paul shut his eyes and leaned into the corner, trying to hide how heartsick he was.
  • feel heartsick
  • so heartsick
  • make me heartsick

I declare heartsick with horror, bloodbath coming beyond all compare.

Examples

  • Honestly, I'm heartsick about this.

    A Noble Lie: Oklahoma City 1995 (2012)

  • How frustrated, how disappointed, how heartsick Noah must have felt.

    Blog text (2)

  • And I am heartsick with it.

    Sleepy Hollow (1999)

  • I, for one, will remain heartsick for a long time over this loss.

    Blog text (19)

  • My family and I are heartsick over our loss of you not being elected.

    Blog text (19)

  • Although I was heartsick at the results, I do still believe that God is in control.

    Blog text (2)

  • When I heard that, I was positively heartsick, dear.

    The Women (1939)

  • I am feeling kind of heartsick lately at all I am learning on many fronts.

    Blog text (3)

  • "She's heartsick and there's no medicine for that," Aunt Lucette sighed, "except time."

    Fiction book (1990)

  • I felt completely heartsick after hearing the news of her passing.

Synonyms

sad
vsheartsick
∞ 1.0

Feeling unhappy or upset because of something

is stronger sadness often linked to grief or deep disappointment
unhappy
vsheartsick
463 1.0

Feeling sad or not pleased about something

is deeper sorrow specifically tied to loss or disappointment
heartbroken
vsheartsick
67 3.2

Feeling very sad because of a loss or disappointment

is deep sorrow that can be intense but not always overwhelming
tearful
vsheartsick
26 1.8

Showing you are about to cry because of a strong feeling

is deep sorrow that may not always cause immediate tears
weepy
vsheartsick
20 3.7

Feeling like you want to cry easily

is deep, lasting sorrow rather than a fragile tearful state
despondent
vsheartsick
18 7.7

Feeling very sad and without hope about the future

is deep sorrow that highlights sadness more than hopelessness
sorrowful
vsheartsick
14 3.6

Feeling very sad because of loss or disappointment

is deep sadness that can also cover broader general unhappiness
grief-stricken
vsheartsick
12 6.7

Very sad and shocked after losing someone close

is similar sadness but may be less tied to formal grief response
desolate
vsheartsick
11 6.7

Feeling very unhappy and alone after a loss

is deep sadness that emphasizes sorrow rather than isolation
brokenhearted
vsheartsick
7 3.7

Feeling very sad because of a loss or disappointment

expresses deep sadness often without the utterly crushing emphasis
disconsolate
vsheartsick
  • Literature
2 8.2

Very sad and not able to be comforted

is deeply sad but may still accept comfort or consolation
heavy-hearted
vsheartsick
1 5.4

Feeling very sad and weighed down inside

is deep sorrow that focuses more on emotional distress than weight

Antonyms

content
108 1.0

A feeling of being happy with what you have

joyful
70 1.0

Feeling or showing great happiness

elated
11 4.0

Feeling very happy and excited because of good news or success

How Sad

heartbroken
67 3.2
heartsick
6 6.3
sad
∞ 1.0
upset
∞ 1.0
down
  • Informal
24 6.7

Surface Forms

heartsick positive

Morphology

heartsick = heart + sick (semi-transparent) = heart + sick

A compound of 'heart' + 'sick' where 'sick' is used metaphorically to mean emotionally unwell, so the meaning is derivable but relies on figurative extension.

Etymology

The word heartsick joins heart (where we feel strong feelings) and sick ('ill'), so it thinks of the heart as 'ill' from sadness. That's why to be heartsick is to feel very sad inside.