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
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
Faced with the harrowing news that father Frank had unexpectedly decided to stop by Paddy's Pub, Dee and Dennis set out in a rush, hoping to avoid talking to their wealthy but absent dad by racing drunkenly to the local strip club.
—Dennis Perkins, EW.com, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for harrowing
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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
Faced with the harrowing news that father Frank had unexpectedly decided to stop by Paddy's Pub, Dee and Dennis set out in a rush, hoping to avoid talking to their wealthy but absent dad by racing drunkenly to the local strip club.
—Dennis Perkins, EW.com, 10 July 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 23 Jul. 2025.
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