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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of harrowing
Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 23 May 2026
What starts as a mystery becomes an existential horror film, a harrowing journey into a landscape in which death lurks around every corner.
—Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 23 May 2026
Next to be honored was Dying for Sex, a limited FX series that followed a woman who was dying from breast cancer and her journey to pleasure despite the harrowing diagnosis.
—Dominique Fluker, Forbes.com, 21 May 2026
But after the harrowing attack on Monday, they are now remembered for their larger-than-life acts of courage, which cost them their lives but prevented two gunmen from coming into contact with the some hundred children and staff who were inside the mosque.
—Emma Bowman, NPR, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for harrowing
Adjective
The blow up also wasted a strong performance by rookie left-hander Payton Tolle, who survived a harrowing second inning to post his third quality start in four outings.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 23 May 2026
What starts as a mystery becomes an existential horror film, a harrowing journey into a landscape in which death lurks around every corner.
—Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 23 May 2026
Next to be honored was Dying for Sex, a limited FX series that followed a woman who was dying from breast cancer and her journey to pleasure despite the harrowing diagnosis.
—Dominique Fluker, Forbes.com, 21 May 2026
But after the harrowing attack on Monday, they are now remembered for their larger-than-life acts of courage, which cost them their lives but prevented two gunmen from coming into contact with the some hundred children and staff who were inside the mosque.
—Emma Bowman, NPR, 20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for harrowing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harrowing
Adjective
-
The result was a painful correction.—
Robert Ginsburg,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
-
The most painful part of the quarter-long dry spell was that Oklahoma City seemed to have all the answers during San Antonio’s explosive first half.—
William Guillory,
New York Times,
31 May 2026
Adjective
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His most wrenching scene, when Stagg receives a devastating personal call but cannot react amid the intense geopolitical stakes, captured this tension.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
26 May 2026
-
Another wrenching question, of course, is whether at least the younger Perez siblings would want or need to go with Olga to Guatemala if she were deported.—
Tim Padgett,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
She is backed by the local Democratic Socialists of America, and her challengers claim the district has suffered under under her leadership, pointing to MacArthur Park as emblematic of the homelessness and drug addiction crisis plaguing the city.—
Melissa Gomez,
Los Angeles Times,
24 May 2026
-
The title of his third album, REDSTAR WU & THE WORLDWIDE SCOURGE, suggests an MCU movie in which our hero attempts to take on every problem plaguing the planet—and this time, Owusu isn’t giving his adversaries code names.—
Stuart Berman,
Pitchfork,
19 May 2026
Adjective
-
The flap has also brought harsh criticism from prominent people in Miami, including former Democratic congressman Joe Garcia.—
Douglas Hanks,
Miami Herald,
4 June 2026
-
Without excessive optimism, in a world that is becoming harsher, the Festival, on the contrary, is opening up and improving.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
What Mary endures throughout Stappard’s debut is unquestionably torturous, but the writer/director never seems to take pleasure in orchestrating her or any other Māori characters’ suffering.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
17 May 2026
-
Many of the children didn’t survive the torturous experimentation, while others developed superpowers.—
Kayti Burt,
Time,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
Cholera, a waterborne bacterial disease, has unleashed a perilous wave across southern Africa, with active outbreaks currently afflicting five countries in southern and central Africa.—
John Drake,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
-
Never mind the economic turbulence afflicting the country and the world, driven most recently by rising gas prices because of the war in Iran.—
Stephen Hudak,
The Orlando Sentinel,
6 May 2026
Adjective
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Electronic bugs are installed, secretaries listen in on every phone call and conversation, and rock 'n roll is banned in this cruel culture of absolute secrecy.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
29 May 2026
-
The slaughter of Australian infantry at the hands of Turkish guns on the coastal region of Gallipoli has become emblematic of the pointless loss of life during this cruel conflict.—
Jordan Hoffman,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
Sarunya, here since 1999, is a familiar face to many, for sometimes agonizing but superlative reflexology.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
But each of the past four seasons has produced an ending more agonizing than the last.—
Corey Masisak,
Denver Post,
31 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Harrowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harrowing. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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