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

harrowingly adverb

Synonyms of harrowing

• painful
• harsh
• cruel
• torturous

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

While those accusations led to second-degree murder charges for the Pendergrasses, a harrowing court testimony last week prompted a judge to upgrade the charges to first-degree murder, WXYZ reported. —Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 28 Jan. 2026

The film is a harrowing look at the banality of evil in its most dangerous form. —Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Jan. 2026

Holocaust survivor Erna Gorman endured a harrowing and horrifying journey to escape death at the hands of the Nazis. —Edie Kasten, CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026

The ensuing attack is staged with harrowing, heart-in-mouth immediacy, shot by Jun with propulsive, handheld looseness and mud on the lens. —Guy Lodge, Variety, 26 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

from present participle of harrow entry 3

First Known Use

1799, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for harrowing

• narrowing