heartrending

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)

heartrending
    adj 1: causing or marked by grief or anguish; "a grievous loss";
           "a grievous cry"; "her sigh was heartbreaking"; "the
           heartrending words of Rabin's granddaughter" [syn:
           {grievous}, {heartbreaking}, {heartrending}]

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Heartrending \Heart"rend`ing\ (-r[e^]nd`[i^]ng), a.
   Causing intense grief; overpowering with anguish; very
   distressing.
   [1913 Webster]

from Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

28 Moby Thesaurus words for "heartrending":
      affecting, afflictive, agonizing, calamitous, consuming,
      desolating, dire, distressing, doleful, excruciating, grievous,
      harrowing, heartbreaking, heartsickening, heartwounding,
      lamentable, moving, pathetic, piteous, pitiable, pitiful, racking,
      regrettable, rending, tormenting, torturous, touching,
      unfortunate

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