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
One of Giuffre's most harrowing stories in the book comes at the hands of another political figure, whose identity remains unclear.
—Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
Brown’s description stands in stark contrast to the housekeeper’s own harrowing account of what happened.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 21 Oct. 2025
The harrowing ordeal was caught on the family's doorbell camera.
—John Toher, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025
In the face of danger, the rescuers quickly jumped into action to save lives in harrowing, deadly situations.
—Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 11 Oct. 2025
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.
Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
Brown’s description stands in stark contrast to the housekeeper’s own harrowing account of what happened.
—Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 21 Oct. 2025
The harrowing ordeal was caught on the family's doorbell camera.
—John Toher, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025
In the face of danger, the rescuers quickly jumped into action to save lives in harrowing, deadly situations.
—Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 11 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 23 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share