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
Cast adrift in a frosty wilderness—a harrowing yet welcome departure, visually, from the Gothic shadows of Victor’s lair—the Creature experiences a dollop of decency, courtesy of a blind old farmer (a wonderful David Bradley), but also a deluge of misery, courtesy of everyone else.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2025
The episode’s final scene is similarly graphic, and adds a harrowing plot twist.
—Andrew McGowan, Variety, 27 Oct. 2025
However, the saga unearths new layers in the second season as Natalia shares her harrowing experiences with her adoptive parents and has a face-to-face confrontation with Michael.
—James Mercadante, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
In one of the most harrowing scenes in the movie, a drunken Douglas Springsteen cajoles a young Bruce into a bedroom slapping game that begins to border on genuine physical abuse.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for harrowing
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Justin Chang, New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2025
The episode’s final scene is similarly graphic, and adds a harrowing plot twist.
—Andrew McGowan, Variety, 27 Oct. 2025
However, the saga unearths new layers in the second season as Natalia shares her harrowing experiences with her adoptive parents and has a face-to-face confrontation with Michael.
—James Mercadante, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
In one of the most harrowing scenes in the movie, a drunken Douglas Springsteen cajoles a young Bruce into a bedroom slapping game that begins to border on genuine physical abuse.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 24 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 30 Oct. 2025.
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