What does heartsick mean?
Heartsick describes a person who is deeply unhappy because of grief, separation, disappointment, or the loss of someone important. It is more emotionally intense than simply being sad and is often used when love, family, or a valued relationship has been disrupted. The phrase commonly appears in romantic, literary, or elegiac contexts, but it can also describe ordinary disappointment. Unlike heartbroken, which focuses directly on the experience of romantic loss, heartsick can apply more broadly to any experience of profound emotional injury. Its imagery gives physical force to an inward feeling: the sorrow is not merely present but lodged in the heart. The word therefore lends itself well to expressive prose and poetry, while sounding somewhat old-fashioned in casual conversation. In contemporary use, it remains understandable throughout British and American English but is less common than the plainer alternatives sad, devastated, or heartbroken.
adjectiveDeeply unhappy or distressed, especially because of grief, separation, disappointment, or the loss of someone beloved.
- Deeply distressed by grief, romantic loss, separation, disappointment, or another painful emotional experience.
"The news of her departure left him heartsick for weeks."
"The farewell left her heartsick for days."
"He was heartsick when the unexpected cancellation ended his final season."
“Heartsick” is heartbreak’s old-fashioned, literary alias: it says the sorrow is lodged in the heart itself.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does heartsick come from?
Heartsick is an English compound formed from heart and sick. The word has been attested since the early 17th century, when it was already associated with intense emotional grief and distress. Its components have older Germanic histories: heart comes from Old English heorte, while sick comes from Old English sīoc. Over time, heartsick continued to describe emotional suffering caused especially by love, separation, or loss.
How heartsick is actually used
Literary and emotionally expressive rather than strictly formal. It is especially associated with romantic loss and bereavement, though it can also describe disappointment or the loss of something valued. Some speakers may regard it as poetic or old-fashioned.