harrowing
adjective
har·row·ing
ˈher-ə-wiŋ 
ˈha-rə-
: acutely distressing or painful
a harrowing experience
Mr. Wu's work in a coal mine was particularly harrowing.—
Charles Horner
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
Vying for a parking spot on a crowded city street after a snowstorm has long felt like going to battle, and now there's a harrowing twist.
—Jessica Mekles, FOXNews.com, 5 Feb. 2026
According to the Los Angeles Times, there are now around 100 sheriff’s detectives that have been assigned to assist on the case, which took a harrowing turn as blood spatters were reportedly discovered at the scene.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 4 Feb. 2026
Pearce has no memory of the accident, nor of the harrowing month that followed.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 3 Feb. 2026
Throughout these harrowing days, Yitzhak poured his heart into his diary, describing the confusion, the terror, the streets filled with armed soldiers hunting for victims.
—Dr. Michael Good, Hartford Courant, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for harrowing
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.
Jessica Mekles, FOXNews.com, 5 Feb. 2026
According to the Los Angeles Times, there are now around 100 sheriff’s detectives that have been assigned to assist on the case, which took a harrowing turn as blood spatters were reportedly discovered at the scene.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 4 Feb. 2026
Pearce has no memory of the accident, nor of the harrowing month that followed.
—Sean Gregory, Time, 3 Feb. 2026
Throughout these harrowing days, Yitzhak poured his heart into his diary, describing the confusion, the terror, the streets filled with armed soldiers hunting for victims.
—Dr. Michael Good, Hartford Courant, 3 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for harrowing
Cite this Entry
“Harrowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/harrowing. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
