Originally Posted By: Tromboniator
I don't recall bumping into heart-wringing, and I guess I would interpret heart-piercing as by Cupid's arrow; that is, falling in love, not falling into anguish. In any case, I don't hear any of the variants: heartwrenching seems to be the mot-du-jour.


1718 Pope tr. Homer Iliad IV. xiv. 569 Heart-piercing Anguish struck the Grecian Host. {heh}

1872 W. Black Strange Adventures Phaeton xxiii. 327 What bitterness and grievous heart-wringing. {shrug}