heartbreak
part of speech
noun (heartbreak, heartbreaks; usually uncountable)
meaning for a pupil
1) Heartbreak is very great sadness, especially when someone you love leaves you, dies, or when you lose something important. tree →
2) A heartbreak is an event that causes such sadness. tree →
sense in the lessons
In stories, songs and sports reports: heartbreak when a pet dies, a friend moves away, or a team loses in the last minute. It tells the reader a character is deeply sad. Phrases: «heartbreak of losing», «last-minute heartbreak», «heartbreak hotel» (song).
examples
- Losing our old dog was a real heartbreak. tree →
- The team suffered heartbreak in the final minute. tree →
- Moving away from her best friend caused great heartbreak. tree →
- The song is about heartbreak and love. tree →
- There was heartbreak when the school play was cancelled. tree →
- Time and friends help heal heartbreak. tree →
note
Related: «heartbroken» (very sad), «heartbreaking» (causing great sadness). Usually uncountable. Not a medical problem of the heart.
In the corpora
- Vivid example: in a Leeds corner shop, Auntie Bev holds up a magazine: "SOAP STAR'S SECRET HEARTBREAK!
- The presenter giggles about a singer's "secret heartbreak".
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «heartbreak» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.