harrowing 1 of 2

adjective

ˈher-ə-wiŋ How to pronounce harrowing (audio)
Definition of harrowingnext
1
as in painful
hard to accept or bear especially emotionally a harrowing portrayal of the ravages of war

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2
as in wrenching
intensely or unbearably painful the harrowing amputations without any anesthetic that soldiers and sailors once were forced to endure

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harrowing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of harrow
as in plaguing
to cause persistent suffering to the villagers were gaunt and sickly, harrowed by years of disease and starvation

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of harrowing
Adjective
One particularly harrowing hijacking – and subsequent rescue by US Navy SEALs – inspired a Hollywood movie starring Tom Hanks. — David Goldman, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2026 The harrowing memories later influenced his work and activity with an anti-war theme. — ABC News, 27 Oct. 2026 Christopher Lloyd is looking back at a harrowing moment during the filming of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. — Daysia Tolentino, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Oct. 2026 But there’s a hopeful note buried under the harrowing descriptions. — Shy Clara Thompson, Pitchfork, 23 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for harrowing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harrowing
  1. painful
  2. wrenching
  3. plaguing
  4. harsh
  5. torturous
  6. afflicting
  7. cruel
  8. agonizing
Adjective
  • No matter how painful, facing the truth is the only way true progress can begin.
    — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 12 Nov. 2026
  • His death is devastating and a painful reminder that the crisis documented in our film continues.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 12 Nov. 2026
Definition of painful
Adjective
  • Richard Ables guided families through one of life’s most wrenching rituals at the historic Hall Brothers Funeral Home.
    — Paul Schwartzman, Washington Post, 4 Oct. 2026
  • After a quiet episode focused on Hal Jordan’s passing, Lanterns’s penultimate chapter deepens the mystery in surprising and wrenching ways.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of wrenching
Verb
  • The Cyberarts Studio Academy in Brooklyn was on the verge of closing, with absenteeism and a low graduation rate plaguing its students just four years ago.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Gallagher has also sought to tie McGuire to cost-of-living problems plaguing Californians, such as the price of gasoline and housing.
    — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of plaguing
Adjective
  • Martha Stewart is asking Americans for forgiveness after her Halloween costume drew harsh criticism.
    — Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Held without charge, al-Sakani says he was subjected to harsh conditions, including sleep deprivation, inadequate medical care and the withholding of medication.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of harsh
Adjective
  • Panahi subsequently traveled widely to promote the drama, which centers around an outpouring of strong feelings by a group of former prisoners toward a torturous guard and stems from his incarceration.
    — Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 27 Oct. 2026
  • But genuinely funny moments are rare, badly outnumbered by done-to-death musings regarding the mysteries of being alive and torturous melodramatic moments in which Klara dully absorbs the severity of Josie’s illness and Chrissy’s sorrow.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of torturous
Verb
  • Singh and Jaggseer, like Beyoncé and Lil Nas X before them, highlight an identity crisis afflicting modern country music.
    — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The work continues and the Frates family has maintained the passion that Pete instilled in them in fighting the disease that is still afflicting far too many people.
    — Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of afflicting
Adjective
  • Newsom and other opponents of capital punishment have long argued that the process is costly, cruel and discriminatory, with death sentences disproportionately handed down to defendants of color.
    — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026
  • In a cruel twist of fate, the back half of the trailer shows Geoff being affected by severe confusion, sitting outside his house in the cold.
    — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of cruel
Adjective
  • The book tracks the Biden-Harris administration’s slow, agonizing realization that Gaza had transformed from a distant foreign policy crisis into a catastrophic electoral liability.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Nov. 2026
  • In 2023, the Wildcats embarrassed TCU in a 41-3 defeat and there was also the agonizing 31-28 overtime loss to the Wildcats in the Big 12 championship.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Nov. 2026
Definition of agonizing

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Cite this Entry

“Harrowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harrowing. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

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