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
Many Amazon reviewers shared the harrowing accidents that motivated them to finally buy one, including a car rolling off a ferry and a rollover accident with kids in the backseat.
—Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 8 Oct. 2025
But the windows are fake, and the inmates inside—most of whom are awaiting trial—face harrowing conditions.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2025
At the Nir Oz kibbutz, Ohad (Miki Leon), wife Batsheva (Rotem Sela) and three children are awoken by alarms and seek refuge in their home’s shelter room, which unfortunately has a broken door, forcing a predictable and harrowing outcome.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2025
Panahi’s French producers Philippe Martin and David Thion described a harrowing 20-day shoot using two cars only for cast and crew to avoid attracting attention.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for harrowing
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Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 8 Oct. 2025
But the windows are fake, and the inmates inside—most of whom are awaiting trial—face harrowing conditions.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2025
At the Nir Oz kibbutz, Ohad (Miki Leon), wife Batsheva (Rotem Sela) and three children are awoken by alarms and seek refuge in their home’s shelter room, which unfortunately has a broken door, forcing a predictable and harrowing outcome.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2025
Panahi’s French producers Philippe Martin and David Thion described a harrowing 20-day shoot using two cars only for cast and crew to avoid attracting attention.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for harrowing
Cite this Entry
“Harrowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/harrowing. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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