gut-wrenching

adjective

gut-wrench·​ing ˈgət-ˌren-chiŋ How to pronounce gut-wrenching (audio)
: causing mental or emotional anguish

Examples of gut-wrenching in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Both teams had another possession but had to punt before Penn State’s gut-wrenching mistake and interception with 30 seconds remaining set up Notre Dame at the Penn State 42-yard line. Jay Ginsbach, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2025 Carol remembers overhearing the gut-wrenching phone call between her father and her grandmother. Anna Turning, NBC News, 29 Dec. 2024 The personal nature embedded in the gut-wrenching songs is undeniable, particularly through the lens of his divorce from Sara Lownds. Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone, 25 Dec. 2024 The week before the 2024 election, a gut-wrenching advertisement created by a progressive campaign fund went viral. Christen Hammock Jones / Made By History, TIME, 9 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for gut-wrenching 

Word History

First Known Use

1972, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gut-wrenching was in 1972

Dictionary Entries Near gut-wrenching

Cite this Entry

“Gut-wrenching.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gut-wrenching. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on gut-wrenching

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!