harrowing

adjective

har·​row·​ing ˈher-ə-wiŋ How to pronounce harrowing (audio)
ˈha-rə-
: acutely distressing or painful
a harrowing experience
Mr. Wu's work in a coal mine was particularly harrowing.Charles Horner
harrowingly adverb

Examples of harrowing in a Sentence

a harrowing portrayal of the ravages of war the harrowing amputations without any anesthetic that soldiers and sailors once were forced to endure
Recent Examples on the Web In one especially harrowing allegation, Repp talks about Nick letting his friends watch the encounter through a boat skylight. Rachel Brodsky, TIME, 27 May 2024 The psychological horror of endless mental torment, punctuated by jump-scare apparitions and an overwhelming sense of isolation, made Senua’s Sacrifice a harrowing experience that ended with relief as the chaos within calmed in the end. Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 21 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for harrowing 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'harrowing.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

from present participle of harrow entry 3

First Known Use

1799, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of harrowing was in 1799

Dictionary Entries Near harrowing

Cite this Entry

“Harrowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/harrowing. Accessed 1 Jun. 2024.

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