broken-heart syndrome

A form of broken heart syndrome — Takotsubo cardiomyopathy triggered by emotional stress, such as the death of a loved one.

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

nounbroken-heart syndrome (uncountable)
  1. alternativeuncountableAlternative form of broken heart syndrome.

    A few years later, Mildred was evaluated by doctors as having broken-heart syndrome.

    2023 January 12, “Obituaries: Mildred Zyla”, in The Journal News, volume 134, number 210, page 9A
    2 more examples

    Intense grief can also kill dogs, elephants and other animals, as the effects of broken-heart syndrome are not exclusive to humans.

    2019 January 12, Michael Fox, “Intense grief can cause ‘broken-heart syndrome’”, in The News-Press, volume 135th, number 17, page 5D

    For unknown reasons, broken-heart syndrome is less common in men; about 90% of cases occur in older women.

    2019 February 9, Harvard Health Letter, “Not for the faint of heart”, in The Bismarck Tribune, volume 145, number 040, page A4
Cite this entry
APA

broken-heart syndrome. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/broken-heart%20syndrome

MLA

“broken-heart syndrome.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/broken-heart%20syndrome. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “broken-heart syndrome,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/broken-heart%20syndrome.

Source: broken-heart syndrome on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.