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
Unions representing sheriff’s deputies, firefighters and lifeguards made a public pitch Thursday for more support in increasingly testy contract negotiations, releasing a half-hour documentary that highlighted their members’ harrowing tales from the first days of the fires.
—Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2025
One, Maddie didn’t know it then, but that harrowing incident prepared her to survive Joe’s cage.
—Sara Netzley, EW.com, 24 Apr. 2025
On Monday, April 21, the sisters recalled — in unison — the harrowing experience of the carjacking while being interviewed on 7News Queensland.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, People.com, 23 Apr. 2025
Working under such harrowing conditions takes a psychological toll.
—Ross Rosenfeld, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for harrowing
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Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2025
One, Maddie didn’t know it then, but that harrowing incident prepared her to survive Joe’s cage.
—Sara Netzley, EW.com, 24 Apr. 2025
On Monday, April 21, the sisters recalled — in unison — the harrowing experience of the carjacking while being interviewed on 7News Queensland.
—Anna Lazarus Caplan, People.com, 23 Apr. 2025
Working under such harrowing conditions takes a psychological toll.
—Ross Rosenfeld, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Apr. 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 29 Apr. 2025.
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