26
grievous(adjective, hard, difficult, complex)
24
sad(adjective, hard, difficult, complex, sympathy)
22
painful(adjective, hard, difficult, complex)
21
dire(adjective, hard, difficult, complex)
20
cruel(adjective, hard, difficult, complex)
20
severe(adjective, hard, difficult, complex)
19
grave(adjective, hard, difficult, complex)
19
hard(adjective, difficult, complex)
19
profound(adjective, hard, difficult, intense, complex)
19
serious(adjective, hard, difficult, complex)
19
soul-crushing
19
weighty(adjective, hard, difficult, complex)
18
disturbing(adjective, hard, difficult, complex)
18
troubled(adjective, hard, difficult, complex)
12
heartbreaking(adjective, moving, sad, wretched, sympathy)
8
pitiful(adjective, mean, poor, low, sad)
6
distressing(adjective, mean, moving, low, sad)
6
moving(adjective, mean, low, sad, tender)
5
deplorable(adjective, mean, low, sad, unhappy)
5
doleful(adjective, sad, unhappy, melancholy, wretched)
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APASmart Define. (2015). heartrending thesaurus. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from https://smartdefine.org/heartrending/thesaurus/synonyms
ChicagoSmart Define. 2015. "heartrending thesaurus" https://smartdefine.org/heartrending/thesaurus/synonyms (accessed September 20, 2026).
HarvardSmart Define 2015, heartrending thesaurus, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2026, <https://smartdefine.org/heartrending/thesaurus/synonyms>.
MLASmart Define. "heartrending thesaurus" 20 July 2015. Web. 20 September 2026. <https://smartdefine.org/heartrending/thesaurus/synonyms>