heart-rending

See also: heartrending

English

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɛndɪŋ

Adjective

heart-rending (comparative more heart-rending, superlative most heart-rending)

1. Alternative form of heartrending
   • 1833, Elia [pseudonym; Charles Lamb], “Barbara S⁠——”, in The Last Essays of Elia. […], London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 117:

     With much delicacy, avoiding to instance in her self-experience, she told me, that so long ago as when she used to play the part of the Little Son to Mrs. Porter’s Isabella, (I think it was) when that impressive actress has been bending over her in some heart-rending colloquy, she has felt real hot tears come trickling from her, which (to use her powerful expression) have perfectly scalded her back.

Derived terms

• heart-rendingly