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 Sharon Osbourne is opening up about some harrowing experiences with jewelry theft. Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 16 July 2024 Stone’s book is filled with these kinds of harrowing, often darkly funny stories about the years before and after her near death experience. Shannon Carlin, TIME, 15 July 2024 This wasn’t in a Method actor way, Perkins assures me, but because that isolation served one of the film’s most harrowing scenes: Longlegs and Harker meeting for the first time. Barry Levitt, Los Angeles Times, 12 July 2024 Based on the true story behind one of Guatemala’s most harrowing tragedies — the orphanage fire of 2017, which took the lives of 41 girls — Rita shines a light on the brave orphans whose fight for survival inspired a nationwide outcry for justice and reform. Matt Grobar, Deadline, 11 July 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 26 Jul. 2024.

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