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
Synonyms
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
Entertainment gossip and news from Newsweek's network of contributors
Two days after revealing facial paralysis on the left side of her face in a harrowing video posted as an Instagram Story, former Teen Mom OG star Bristol Palin has come out with a bold new statement about her condition.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 31 Jan. 2025
Captured by the filmmakers in front of a green screen with visual flourishes and animation added later, these scenes are no less harrowing just because they were not taken in the chaos of war.
—Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 31 Jan. 2025
Reporting from Oświęcim, Poland Out of respect for the victims, we are forbidden from photographing what may be the most harrowing images here: piles of human hair.
—NBC News, 27 Jan. 2025
The play drew on the verbatim testimony of SS officers, Nazi functionaries and camp survivors, to reconstruct the genocidal horror in harrowing, undeniable detail.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Jan. 2025
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Dan Perry, Newsweek, 31 Jan. 2025
Captured by the filmmakers in front of a green screen with visual flourishes and animation added later, these scenes are no less harrowing just because they were not taken in the chaos of war.
—Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 31 Jan. 2025
Reporting from Oświęcim, Poland Out of respect for the victims, we are forbidden from photographing what may be the most harrowing images here: piles of human hair.
—NBC News, 27 Jan. 2025
The play drew on the verbatim testimony of SS officers, Nazi functionaries and camp survivors, to reconstruct the genocidal horror in harrowing, undeniable detail.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for harrowing
Dictionary Entries Near harrowing
Cite this Entry
“Harrowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/harrowing. Accessed 10 Feb. 2025.
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