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
Instead, in a historically harrowing defeat on their home diamond, the Dodgers had bigger concerns to worry about Friday, with Altuve and Walker at the top of the list.
—Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2025
Survivors recount their harrowing encounters with massive sharks, where some emerged miraculously unscathed and others were less fortunate.
—Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 5 July 2025
Until weekly trips to the grocery store become less harrowing, Americans will continue to feel sour about the state of their nation.
—Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 July 2025
Ruiz Rosales shared harrowing allegations about how he was treated.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for harrowing
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Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2025
Survivors recount their harrowing encounters with massive sharks, where some emerged miraculously unscathed and others were less fortunate.
—Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 5 July 2025
Until weekly trips to the grocery store become less harrowing, Americans will continue to feel sour about the state of their nation.
—Orlando Sentinel, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 July 2025
Ruiz Rosales shared harrowing allegations about how he was treated.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 July 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 10 Jul. 2025.
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