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
Despite their intimidating monikers—one was called Eat Rocks and Bleed—the experience was far more exhilarating than harrowing.
—David Amsden, Travel + Leisure, 13 June 2025
Cops are hunting for a dangerous stranger who choked a 31-year-old woman unconscious during a harrowing attack in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens, officials said Friday.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 13 June 2025
The latter especially puts Hiccup and Toothless in some harrowing situations.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 13 June 2025
The Ahmedabad crash will now join these rare and harrowing cases, as investigators work to determine how one life was spared amid overwhelming tragedy.
—Kate Nalepinski, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for harrowing
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David Amsden, Travel + Leisure, 13 June 2025
Cops are hunting for a dangerous stranger who choked a 31-year-old woman unconscious during a harrowing attack in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens, officials said Friday.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 13 June 2025
The latter especially puts Hiccup and Toothless in some harrowing situations.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 13 June 2025
The Ahmedabad crash will now join these rare and harrowing cases, as investigators work to determine how one life was spared amid overwhelming tragedy.
—Kate Nalepinski, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 June 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 17 Jun. 2025.
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