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
The harrowing trek included consecutive shutout losses to open the season, an 0-2 start in the Omicron League and a few players leaving the team.
—Dan Albano, Oc Register, 25 Nov. 2025
The damage, likely inflicted by a space debris strike, made the Shenzhou 20 vehicle unfit to carry astronauts on the harrowing trip down through Earth's atmosphere, Chinese space officials determined.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 25 Nov. 2025
The harrowing incident off Soberanes Point came a week after a father and his 7-year-old daughter were killed in rough waters three miles to the north, off Big Sur’s Garrapata Beach.
—Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 23 Nov. 2025
The scene depicts dramatic, harrowing moments in which the enchanted animals are blocked from being able to move about freely.
—Dan Heching, CNN Money, 22 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for harrowing
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Dan Albano, Oc Register, 25 Nov. 2025
The damage, likely inflicted by a space debris strike, made the Shenzhou 20 vehicle unfit to carry astronauts on the harrowing trip down through Earth's atmosphere, Chinese space officials determined.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 25 Nov. 2025
The harrowing incident off Soberanes Point came a week after a father and his 7-year-old daughter were killed in rough waters three miles to the north, off Big Sur’s Garrapata Beach.
—Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 23 Nov. 2025
The scene depicts dramatic, harrowing moments in which the enchanted animals are blocked from being able to move about freely.
—Dan Heching, CNN Money, 22 Nov. 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 5 Dec. 2025.
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