1
as in painful
hard to accept or bear especially emotionally
a harrowing portrayal of the ravages of war
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in wrenching
intensely or unbearably painful
the harrowing amputations without any anesthetic that soldiers and sailors once were forced to endure
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in plaguing
to cause persistent suffering to
the villagers were gaunt and sickly, harrowed by years of disease and starvation
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of harrowing
ABC News, 17 June 2026
One of the more harrowing threads in the film involves a protagonist who is molested by a religious figure but has no recourse to justice.
—Jenny S. Li, Variety, 16 June 2026
Redux, an extended version of his harrowing Vietnam War epic.
—Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 16 June 2026
At a Coroners Court inquest on June 15 and 16 in Melbourne, Australia, the court heard the 12-minute emergency services call from the day of Warnecke's death and testimony from Warnecke's doula, Emily Lal, painting a harrowing picture of the influencer's final moments.
—Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 16 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for harrowing
Adjective
The arrest came after Swaydan on Monday posted harrowing details of abuses and violations that happened in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department of al-Shatabi Hospital, which is a university hospital in Alexandria.
—ABC News, 17 June 2026
One of the more harrowing threads in the film involves a protagonist who is molested by a religious figure but has no recourse to justice.
—Jenny S. Li, Variety, 16 June 2026
Redux, an extended version of his harrowing Vietnam War epic.
—Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 16 June 2026
At a Coroners Court inquest on June 15 and 16 in Melbourne, Australia, the court heard the 12-minute emergency services call from the day of Warnecke's death and testimony from Warnecke's doula, Emily Lal, painting a harrowing picture of the influencer's final moments.
—Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 16 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for harrowing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harrowing
Adjective
-
However, Ukraine’s successes have highlighted its ability to inflict painful damage on Russia and change the course of the conflict while Moscow’s advances recently have ground to a near halt.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 June 2026
-
California’s already-high electricity rates have increased far faster than inflation, threaten progress on climate change and pose painful affordability burdens on residents and businesses, the Berkeley report said.—
Teri Sforza,
Oc Register,
21 June 2026
Adjective
-
His most wrenching scene, when Stagg receives a devastating personal call but cannot react amid the intense geopolitical stakes, captured this tension.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
26 May 2026
-
Another wrenching question, of course, is whether at least the younger Perez siblings would want or need to go with Olga to Guatemala if she were deported.—
Tim Padgett,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
For many years, both NASA and its Russian counterpart Roscosmos have struggled to contain persistent leaks plaguing the International Space Station.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
18 June 2026
-
His £55million move to Newcastle from Brentford last summer has proven disastrous so far, with injuries plaguing him and only three goals all season.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
Adjective
-
Ahead of the holiday, the City of Rancho Cordova is cracking down with much harsher penalties.—
Brady Halbleib,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
-
Members of his party who want even harsher border controls have splintered off to form Restore Britain, which has gained support from Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who is vociferously backing it on his X platform.—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
18 June 2026
Adjective
-
Good luck—these tiny, torturous bugs seem to be hard to dispose of, but there is a way to lure them in and disable them.—
Meghan Overdeep,
Southern Living,
16 June 2026
-
Shinnecock Hills is full of triangles — sneaky but massive, and always torturous triangles.—
Gabby Herzig,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
Verb
-
Cholera, a waterborne bacterial disease, has unleashed a perilous wave across southern Africa, with active outbreaks currently afflicting five countries in southern and central Africa.—
John Drake,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
-
Never mind the economic turbulence afflicting the country and the world, driven most recently by rising gas prices because of the war in Iran.—
Stephen Hudak,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 May 2026
Adjective
-
Passing a child who is unprepared may be the cruelest act of all.—
Harriette Cole,
Mercury News,
20 June 2026
-
This is your news to share or not share; posting about this on Facebook strikes me as cruel.—
Eric Thomas,
Sun Sentinel,
20 June 2026
Adjective
-
His agonizing response — Chisholm spent several minutes on the ground in pain — only seemed to confirm that.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
19 June 2026
-
There are many reasons the Rays have followed their amazing 22-4 stretch (from April 22-May 22) with an agonizing 7-15 run (May 24 through Wednesday).—
Marc Topkin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
19 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Harrowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harrowing. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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