1
as in painful
hard to accept or bear especially emotionally
a harrowing portrayal of the ravages of war
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in wrenching
intensely or unbearably painful
the harrowing amputations without any anesthetic that soldiers and sailors once were forced to endure
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of harrowing
Frederick Dreier, Outside, 23 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
The most harrowing stop came in November 2023 as the war between Ukraine and Russia raged.
—Vanessa Romo, NPR, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for harrowing
Adjective
Vedrines makes several flights from the flanks of K2, including a harrowing one into a blinding blizzard.
—Frederick Dreier, Outside, 23 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
The most harrowing stop came in November 2023 as the war between Ukraine and Russia raged.
—Vanessa Romo, NPR, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for harrowing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harrowing
Adjective
-
Unspeakable Things opens with a recap of her life over the last few years, beginning with the painful act of watching her own first special.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Contemplating an imminent American assault on my country of origin is painful.—
Quico Toro,
The Atlantic,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Perhaps the most wrenching scene is one in which Anders, seated alone in a busy café, tunes in to ordinary conversations around him.—
Margaret Talbot,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
If Redania doesn’t rise to oppose the evils plaguing the Continent, who will?—
Scott Meslow,
Vulture,
30 Oct. 2025
-
The eyesore property has become a visible metaphor for the city’s retail challenges and general setbacks plaguing the Green Line, the Midway and the once-promising University Avenue business corridor.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
There's a lot of harsh words and harsh things that get said about people.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Applying it at the base of the plant before the first frost can protect the roots from harsh cold and keep the soil from freezing.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Waiting for news was torturous.—
Grace White,
Essence,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Hiking through the deep snow drifts above 26,000 feet is torturous and time consuming.—
Frederick Dreier,
Outside,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The isotopes can remain in the environment years after testing, afflicting those exposed with cancers including lung, leukemia, lymphoma, thyroid and breast, the paper says.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Domestic violence is a painful reality afflicting too many households in this country, which makes the words and actions of the current administration so egregious and hurtful.—
Gwen Moore,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
That is unacceptably cruel, corrupt, and undemocratic.—
Brie Stimson,
FOXNews.com,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Instead, she was stripped of her bronze medal after a late score inquiry—a ruling that still feels cruel for an athlete who had delivered the performance of her life.—
Essence,
Essence,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
On Friday, a big defensive play by Los Angeles Dodgers left fielder Kiké Hernández and an agonizing baserunning mistake by Toronto’s Addison Barger ended the game, setting up a winner-takes-all Game 7 on Saturday.—
Hailey Salvian,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
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For Morris, the hours after landfall were agonizing.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Harrowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harrowing. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.
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