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
How important has writing been to you in these harrowing periods of your life.
—Cressida Leyshon, The New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2025
Wong’s talents also extend to romantic comedies (Always Be My Maybe) and harrowing Netflix dramas (Beef).
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 8 Mar. 2025
After a day of uncertainty following a harrowing moon landing attempt, the company Intuitive Machines sealed the fate of its latest lunar probe Athena.
—Tariq Malik, Space.com, 8 Mar. 2025
Business leaders face challenges, including the frantic need for speedy decision-making, unexpected market shifts, geopolitical volatility, internal mutinies, power plays and harrowing decisions that can hurt the livelihood of their teams by cutting jobs.
—Carlo Tortora Brayda, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
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Cressida Leyshon, The New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2025
Wong’s talents also extend to romantic comedies (Always Be My Maybe) and harrowing Netflix dramas (Beef).
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 8 Mar. 2025
After a day of uncertainty following a harrowing moon landing attempt, the company Intuitive Machines sealed the fate of its latest lunar probe Athena.
—Tariq Malik, Space.com, 8 Mar. 2025
Business leaders face challenges, including the frantic need for speedy decision-making, unexpected market shifts, geopolitical volatility, internal mutinies, power plays and harrowing decisions that can hurt the livelihood of their teams by cutting jobs.
—Carlo Tortora Brayda, Forbes, 6 Mar. 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 13 Mar. 2025.
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