Definition of "heart-sickening" [heart-sickening]

• Tending to make the heart sick or depressed.

The Century Dictionary (Public Domain)

• "I had before experienced sensations of horror; and I have endeavoured to bestow upon them adequate expressions, but words cannot convey an idea of the heart-sickening despair that I then endured."
• "It now seemed so obvious, everything falling into place with a heart-sickening clunk."
• "I will not even allude to the many heart-sickening atrocities which I authentically heard of; — nor would I have mentioned the above revolting details, had I not met with several people, so blinded by the constitutional gaiety of the negro as to speak of slavery as a tolerable evil."