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
Seconds of disaster, hours of harrowing wait A disaster that unfolded in seconds left a group of survivors waiting on a mountainside for hours in frigid temperatures, knowing that many of their peers would not be making it out alive.
—Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 19 Feb. 2026
Composed in the wake of a harrowing medical diagnosis, the Los Angeles saxophonist’s debut album toggles between serenity and psychedelia, aided by an array of West Coast jazz heavyweights.
—Linnie Greene, Pitchfork, 17 Feb. 2026
The film’s harrowing footage caused a sensation when it was released, and it was banned from public screenings for decades.
—Andrew Lapin, Sun Sentinel, 17 Feb. 2026
This year’s festival darling—winning both of Sundance’s top honors, the Audience Award and the Grand Jury Prize—is a masterful drama about a harrowing event.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 14 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for harrowing
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Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 19 Feb. 2026
Composed in the wake of a harrowing medical diagnosis, the Los Angeles saxophonist’s debut album toggles between serenity and psychedelia, aided by an array of West Coast jazz heavyweights.
—Linnie Greene, Pitchfork, 17 Feb. 2026
The film’s harrowing footage caused a sensation when it was released, and it was banned from public screenings for decades.
—Andrew Lapin, Sun Sentinel, 17 Feb. 2026
This year’s festival darling—winning both of Sundance’s top honors, the Audience Award and the Grand Jury Prize—is a masterful drama about a harrowing event.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 14 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 25 Feb. 2026.
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