gut-wrenching

adjective

gut-wrench·​ing ˈgət-ˌren-chiŋ How to pronounce gut-wrenching (audio)
Synonyms of gut-wrenchingnext
: causing mental or emotional anguish

Examples of gut-wrenching in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The gut-wrenching loss of this titan, who loved sunflowers and called so many of us 'friend,' is an inestimable loss for our state and for the progressive movement. Michael Abeyta, CBS News, 28 Nov. 2025 The gut-wrenching scene is not in the original Broadway musical, and was actually improvised by the actresses. Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 21 Nov. 2025 And then the movie shifts — to a gut-wrenching drama of domestic abuse. Jocelyn Noveck, Boston Herald, 10 Nov. 2025 The multi-tiered approach makes what happens all that more gut-wrenching, poignant and powerful. Randy Myers, Mercury News, 16 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for gut-wrenching

Word History

First Known Use

1972, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gut-wrenching was in 1972

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gut-wrenching.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gut-wrenching. Accessed 13 Dec. 2025.

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