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
But desperate mother Laura (played with a harrowing intensity by Sally Hawkins) makes a pretty good one all on her own.
—Megan McCluskey, Time, 30 May 2025
Given how the harrowing images and videos from Gaza are galvanizing world opinion, Mr. Levy predicted that Mr. Starmer might be forced to cast aside his cautious approach.
—Mark Landler, New York Times, 29 May 2025
Jones shares the harrowing night his father lay listless on the floor in his home.
—Chris Dorsey, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
This came after Ellie's harrowing attempt to hunt down Abby, which resulted in the deaths of three of Abby's fellow Washington Liberation Front (W.L.F.) members: Nora (Tati Gabrielle), Mel (Ariela Barer) and Owen (Spencer Lord).
—Samantha Stutsman, People.com, 26 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for harrowing
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Megan McCluskey, Time, 30 May 2025
Given how the harrowing images and videos from Gaza are galvanizing world opinion, Mr. Levy predicted that Mr. Starmer might be forced to cast aside his cautious approach.
—Mark Landler, New York Times, 29 May 2025
Jones shares the harrowing night his father lay listless on the floor in his home.
—Chris Dorsey, Forbes.com, 27 May 2025
This came after Ellie's harrowing attempt to hunt down Abby, which resulted in the deaths of three of Abby's fellow Washington Liberation Front (W.L.F.) members: Nora (Tati Gabrielle), Mel (Ariela Barer) and Owen (Spencer Lord).
—Samantha Stutsman, People.com, 26 May 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 4 Jun. 2025.
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