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
Synonyms
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
Pacific Palisades resident Kelsey Trainor described harrowing scenes as the fire consumed her neighborhood.
—Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 8 Jan. 2025
Photos and video taken in both areas capture harrowing scenes of smoke billowing up into the sky and structures swallowed by flames.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2025
The coach talked about the harrowing situation unfolding after the team’s 114-98 loss to the Miami Heat.
—Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 8 Jan. 2025
The film’s most harrowing moments show Eunice’s interrogation by the military, when she is taken from her home, with no contact with the outside world, and spends 12 days in a dark, dank cell, hearing the screams of people being tortured coming through the walls.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Jan. 2025
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Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 8 Jan. 2025
Photos and video taken in both areas capture harrowing scenes of smoke billowing up into the sky and structures swallowed by flames.
—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 8 Jan. 2025
The coach talked about the harrowing situation unfolding after the team’s 114-98 loss to the Miami Heat.
—Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 8 Jan. 2025
The film’s most harrowing moments show Eunice’s interrogation by the military, when she is taken from her home, with no contact with the outside world, and spends 12 days in a dark, dank cell, hearing the screams of people being tortured coming through the walls.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for harrowing
Dictionary Entries Near harrowing
Cite this Entry
“Harrowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/harrowing. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
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