1
as in painful
hard to accept or bear especially emotionally
a harrowing portrayal of the ravages of war
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in wrenching
intensely or unbearably painful
the harrowing amputations without any anesthetic that soldiers and sailors once were forced to endure
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in plaguing
to cause persistent suffering to
the villagers were gaunt and sickly, harrowed by years of disease and starvation
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of harrowing
David Epstein, ProPublica, 18 July 2025
One of the documentary’s most harrowing moments is a montage sequence of shoppers storming stores in Black Friday hysteria, interspersed with scenes of the dire conditions faced by the people who work extraordinarily hard to produce the latest trending items.
—Olivia Pinnock, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
England Williams spoke of her own harrowing moment.
—Kansas City Star, 13 July 2025
In her new book out this week, Butler: The Untold Story of the Near Assassination of Donald Trump and the Fight for America’s Heartland, Zito weaves the harrowing events of that day into a broader story about the transformation of the Rust Belt and Trump’s historic political comeback.
—Philip Klein, National Review, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for harrowing
Adjective
Jill’s condition accelerated with puberty, so the bodily changes that are confusing for any teenager were absolutely harrowing for her.
—David Epstein, ProPublica, 18 July 2025
One of the documentary’s most harrowing moments is a montage sequence of shoppers storming stores in Black Friday hysteria, interspersed with scenes of the dire conditions faced by the people who work extraordinarily hard to produce the latest trending items.
—Olivia Pinnock, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
England Williams spoke of her own harrowing moment.
—Kansas City Star, 13 July 2025
In her new book out this week, Butler: The Untold Story of the Near Assassination of Donald Trump and the Fight for America’s Heartland, Zito weaves the harrowing events of that day into a broader story about the transformation of the Rust Belt and Trump’s historic political comeback.
—Philip Klein, National Review, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for harrowing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harrowing
Adjective
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Higher temperatures can be too hot for a dog’s paw pads and, in some cases, can cause painful burns.—
Cody Godwin,
USA Today,
22 July 2025
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Some people will also get deeper nodules and cysts that are painful or tender to the touch.2 Ice can be very effective at alleviating pain and reducing inflammation.—
Sherri Gordon,
Health,
22 July 2025
Adjective
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Late-night talk shows across the board are facing the harsh reality that declines in ad revenue can’t make up for burgeoning production costs.—
Liam Reilly,
CNN Money,
22 July 2025
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The harsh reality is this: not all cell phone forensic extractions are created equal, and the most important evidence for trucking cases on the smartphone will be gone in days or weeks.—
Lars Daniel,
Forbes.com,
22 July 2025
Adjective
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Despite his large body of work as a MAGA sycophant, YouTuber Benny Johnson couldn’t swallow Trump’s logically torturous explanations of why his backers should just forget about Epstein.—
Miles Klee,
Rolling Stone,
19 July 2025
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But the games must go on, and in the third installment, he’s forced to play even more torturous rounds that divide the players further, including a terrifying game of hide-and-seek and a deadly round of double Dutch.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2025
Verb
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That’s changing this year, as three Democratic governors announced new initiatives aimed at addressing disparities afflicting boys and men.—
Elizabeth Robinson,
NBC news,
25 Mar. 2025
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One key focus of these efforts should address the deficiencies afflicting the market for biologics, which are medicines made or derived from biological processes.—
Wayne Winegarden,
Forbes,
5 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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In an inordinately cowardly and cruel act, Rubio stayed away from the department that day, ignoring the men and women whose careers and life plans were decimated by his flippant decision-making.—
Lynn Northcutt Vega,
Sun Sentinel,
29 July 2025
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A little more than a year ago, the U.S. Supreme Court reversed a decision from the Ninth Circuit that determined a ban on people sleeping in public was constitutionally cruel and unusual.—
Natalie Eilbert,
jsonline.com,
29 July 2025
Adjective
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Laura and Geoff tried to summarize the heights of Greg’s life — most tied to football — as well as his agonizing final 15 years.—
Christopher Kamrani,
New York Times,
24 July 2025
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News reports and photographs from Texas have been agonizing reminders of the damage nature can inflict.—
Frank Witsil,
Freep.com,
10 July 2025
Adjective
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Marvel Comics’s dysfunctional super-family proved that comic-book characters could be relatable, but so far, each attempt to create a Fantastic Four movie has ranged from forgettable to excruciating.—
Dale Obbie,
Vulture,
23 July 2025
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Despite undergoing more than 40 major surgeries and enduring excruciating treatments like wearing a metal facial brace at age 6, Resek continues to live with recurring infections, sleep apnea, and other lasting impacts of her condition.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
People.com,
12 July 2025
Adjective
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An intense pain that isn't going away There the lone doctor examined him and gave him an EKG to look at how his heart was functioning.—
Nicole Villalpando,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
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SFGate notes that many dogs fear the oven due to its unusual sounds, intense heat, and especially alarms or beeping.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Harrowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harrowing. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.
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