42 Broken Heart Quotes to Speak the Words Your Heart Can’t Say
A broken heart is something most of us will experience at some point, and these broken heart quotes offer comfort, understanding, and a sense of shared humanity when we need it most.
If you’re in the midst of a heartbreak or reflecting on one from your past, the right words can soothe the pain and give you hope for healing and brighter days ahead.
This article will explore the universality of heartbreak and the power that a broken heart holds to help us grow into stronger, more resilient people. It also offers a compilation of all the best broken heart quotes to help you express the emotions of heartbreak that are sometimes impossible to put into words.
Heartbreak is Universal
If you’ve ever had a broken heart, you’re not alone in your pain. In fact, research shows that nearly 98% of people will experience some form of heartbreak during their lifetime.
Whether from a sudden loss, the end of a romantic relationship, unrequited love, or emotional betrayal, heartbreak is part of being human.
Heartbreak is often associated with a breakup of romantic partners. According to a study from the Journal of Positive Psychology, most people take around 11 weeks to feel better after a breakup, and about 71% say that time helped them grow. Another survey found that 60% of adults have had at least one “heart-wrenching” breakup.
These statistics remind us that heartbreak is a shared experience. Knowing that others have walked the same path, and come out stronger on the other side, can be a powerful source of comfort.
Broken Hearts Build Resilience
Christie Brinkley once said, “I’d rather have a broken arm than a broken heart.” This is sentiment shared by many. that given the choice of physical pain or emotional, they’d take a broken arm any day.
But even as painful as heartbreak is, it can also be a turning point for personal growth.
When our hearts break, we’re forced to confront deep emotions. It batters our self-esteem and leaves us with unbearable unanswered questions like: why did this happen? am I not good enough? what did I do wrong? am I unlovable? is the universe punishing me?
While it’s tempting to view heartbreak only through the lens of suffering, the truth is that it often leads to greater resilience and greater self-awareness.
Heartbreak teaches us about letting go. Deep within the intense pain and suffering, it shows us how to turn our attention to the things we appreciate and are grateful for, and simply keep going.
It prompts us to examine ourselves, what we want and how we can do things differently. It brings us to the edge of our identity and shows us that we are not our emotions, but simply the river in which they flow through.
Having a broken heart opens the door to healing, reflection, and transformation—making us wiser and more resilient as we move forward.
As you journey through the following broken heart quotes, let the powerful words serves as a lantern guiding you out of the darkness and onto the path of hope and recovery for your heart.
Painful Broken Heart Quotes
Pain can be overwhelming in the wake of heartbreak.
These quotes capture the rawness and reality of a broken heart, reminding us that it’s okay to feel deeply.
“To fall in love is awfully simple, but to fall out of love is simply awful.” —Bess Myerson
“There is an ocean of silence between us… and I am drowning in it.” —Ranata Suzuki
“Sometimes, when one person is missing, the whole world seems depopulated.” — Alphonse de Lamartine
“Until this moment, I had not realized that someone could break your heart twice, along the very same fault lines.” —Jodi Picoult
“Hearts can break. Yes, hearts can break. Sometimes I think it would be better if we died when they did, but we don’t.” —Stephen King
Deep Heartbreak Quotes
Some heartbreaks cut deeper than others. They linger in the quiet moments and reshape how we see the world.
These broken heart quotes reflect that depth and the kind of sorrow that doesn’t just ache, but transforms.
“Hearts live by being wounded.” —Oscar Wilde
“Hearts will never be practical until they are made unbreakable.” —L. Frank Baum
“Ever has it been that love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation.” —Kahlil Gibran
“Stab the body and it heals, but injure the heart and the wound lasts a lifetime.” —Mineko Iwasaki
“A tormented mind wants to forget, what a broken heart will always remember.” —Anthony Liccione
Sad Broken Heart Quotes
Sadness is often the first wave of heartbreak. The kind of heavy, aching sadness that settles into every inch of your body.
These quotes put that feeling into words, offering quiet validation when it’s hard to speak your pain aloud.
“The shattering of a heart when being broken is the loudest quiet ever.” —Carroll Bryant
“My feet will want to walk to where you are sleeping but I shall go on living.” — Pablo Neruda
“Hearts are breakable. And I think even when you heal, you’re never what you were before.” – Cassandra Clare
“The broken heart. You think you will die, but you keep living, day after day after terrible day.” — Charles Dickens, Great Expectations
“A broken heart is such a shabby thing, like poverty and failure and the incurable diseases which are also deforming. I hate it and am ashamed of it, and I must somehow repair this heart and put it back into its normal condition, as a tough somewhat scarred but operating organ.” —Martha Gellhorn
Best Broken Heart Quotes for Healing
Healing doesn’t happen all at once, but the right words can be a powerful part of that process.
This section of quotes speaks to the strength that grows slowly in the aftermath of heartbreak, and the peace that follows when we allow ourselves to feel and then begin to let go.
“Let it hurt. Let it bleed. Let it heal. And let it go.” —Najwa Zebian
“I have lost and loved and won and cried myself to the person I am today.” —Charlotte Eriksson
“The emotion that can break your heart is sometimes the very one that heals it.” — Nicholas Sparks
“The cure for a broken heart is simple, my lady. A hot bath and a good night’s sleep.” —Margaret George
“You will find that it is necessary to let things go; simply for the reason that they are heavy.” —C. JoyBell C.
Quotes About Moving On After a Broken Heart
Letting go can be one of the hardest parts of heartbreak, but it’s also one of the most important steps toward healing.
These quotes offer gentle encouragement to turn the page, even when it feels impossible.
“The heart will break, but broken live on.” —Lord Byron
“You can’t start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading the last one.” —Michael McMillan
“I think heartbreak is something you learn to live with as opposed to learn to forget.” —Kate Winslet
“Cry. Forgive. Learn. Move on. Let your tears water the seeds of your future happiness.” —Steve Maraboli
Quotes About Love Lost But Not Forgotten
Some loves leave a lasting imprint, even when they don’t last.
The quotes in this section reflect the bittersweet beauty of holding onto the memories while learning to move forward with grace.
“The way to love anything is to realize that it might be lost.” —G.K. Chesterton
No matter how hard your heart is broken, the world doesn’t stop for your grief.” —Faraaz Kazi
“Love is never lost. If not reciprocated, it will flow back and soften and purify the heart.” —Washington Irving
I guess that’s what saying goodbye is always like—like jumping off an edge. The worst part is making the choice to do it. Once you’re in the air, there’s nothing you can do but let go.” —Lauren Oliver
Quotes for Inner Strength After Heartbreak
Courage is the power to let go of the familiar.” —Raymond Lindquist
“Heartbreak is a loss. Divorce is a piece of paper.” —Taylor Jenkins Reid
You may have a broken heart, but you may find someone else.” —Douglas Booth
“Scars show us where we’ve been, they don’t dictate where we’re going.” —David Rossi
“You never know how strong you are until being strong is your only choice.” —Bob Marley
“Don’t cry when the sun is gone, because the tears won’t let you see the stars.” —Violeta Parra
“Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.” —Kahlil Gibran
“I’d rather love a million times and have my heart broken every time, than hold a permanently empty heart forever.” —H. C. Paye
Quotes About Hope and New Beginnings
Even the darkest nights end with the light of a new day.
These quotes reflect the quiet hope that lingers after loss, reminding you that new beginnings often bloom from the heartache that once felt impossible to bear.
“Though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light.” —Sarah Williams
“Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.” —Marilyn Monroe
“When your heart is broken, you plant seeds in the cracks and you pray for rain.” —Andrea Gibson
“The human heart is the only thing whose worth increases the more it is broken.” —Shakieb Orgunwall
“Every time your heart is broken, a doorway cracks open to a world full of new beginnings, new opportunities.” —Patti Roberts
“A broken heart is just the growing pains necessary so that you can love more completely when the real thing comes along.” – J.S.B. Morse
How to Heal a Broken Heart
Grief doesn’t follow a straight line. The path to healing is not linear. It’s a personal, emotional, and deeply individual journey. But there are steps you can take to help the process:
1. Allow yourself to grieve
Don’t bottle up your feelings. Journaling, crying, or talking to someone can help you process your pain.
2. Take care of your body
Heartbreak is emotional, but it affects us physically. Make sleep, hydration, and nourishment a priority.
3. Reconnect with joy
Spend time doing things you enjoy—whether that’s creating art, getting into nature, or spending time with friends.
4. Avoid idealizing the past
It’s easy to romanticize what was lost, but healing comes when you accept what is and start embracing what could be.
5. Practice self-compassion
Healing takes time. Be patient with yourself and speak to yourself with kindness.
From Brokenness of Heart to Beauty of Soul
A broken heart may feel like the end, but it’s also the beginning of something new. The pain you’re feeling now is valid, but it doesn’t define your future.
As you move through the stages of heartbreak, you’ll uncover hidden strength, discover new parts of yourself, and open the door to growth you never expected.
Let these broken heart quotes be reminders that you’re not alone, and that even in sadness, there is beauty, healing, and hope. One day, your heart will beat stronger—not in spite of the pain, but because of how you rose from it.
