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 the more harrowing threads in the film involves a protagonist who is molested by a religious figure but has no recourse to justice.
—Jenny S. Li, Variety, 16 June 2026
Episode 4, for example, was based on a real-life event in my life where a harrowing stint at a local LA hospital for 10-plus hours led me to write that episode the next day, in 24 hours.
—Carita Rizzo, Deadline, 16 June 2026
Redux, an extended version of his harrowing Vietnam War epic.
—Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 16 June 2026
Hodges also testified about his harrowing experience.
—ABC News, 16 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for harrowing
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Jenny S. Li, Variety, 16 June 2026
Episode 4, for example, was based on a real-life event in my life where a harrowing stint at a local LA hospital for 10-plus hours led me to write that episode the next day, in 24 hours.
—Carita Rizzo, Deadline, 16 June 2026
Redux, an extended version of his harrowing Vietnam War epic.
—Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 16 June 2026
Hodges also testified about his harrowing experience.
—ABC News, 16 June 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 17 Jun. 2026.
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