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
As with the epidemic of gun violence, the self-perpetuating cycle of online radicalization continues unbroken, with harrowing consequences for all sides of the political spectrum.
—Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 17 Sep. 2025
While airplane evacuations are extremely rare, emergencies can be especially harrowing for people with reduced mobility or other disabilities.
—Zach Wichter, USA Today, 17 Sep. 2025
That would be 2019 and 2020 in which the then-Texas Longhorns men’s tennis coach was arrested by FBI agents, pleaded guilty to a federal crime and served a harrowing 6-month prison sentence as a result of his involvement in the Operation Varsity Blues college admissions scandal.
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 17 Sep. 2025
In the film, Jeremiah’s life of peace and isolation as a mountain man in the Rocky Mountains turns into a harrowing tale of survival.
—Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for harrowing
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Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 17 Sep. 2025
While airplane evacuations are extremely rare, emergencies can be especially harrowing for people with reduced mobility or other disabilities.
—Zach Wichter, USA Today, 17 Sep. 2025
That would be 2019 and 2020 in which the then-Texas Longhorns men’s tennis coach was arrested by FBI agents, pleaded guilty to a federal crime and served a harrowing 6-month prison sentence as a result of his involvement in the Operation Varsity Blues college admissions scandal.
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 17 Sep. 2025
In the film, Jeremiah’s life of peace and isolation as a mountain man in the Rocky Mountains turns into a harrowing tale of survival.
—Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 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 18 Sep. 2025.
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