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
Soon after that harrowing night at the elder care facility, my mother, who lives alone, suffered a stroke.
—Charles Blow, The Mercury News, 21 June 2024
British production outfit United Heroes is set to adapt Live, Fight, Survive, British soldier Shaun Pinner’s autobiographical memoir of his harrowing experience in the Ukraine war, as a feature film with the working title The English Warrior.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 June 2024
Next up is Running Girl, a tight action thriller about a young woman who witnesses a harrowing murder only to have to run for her life with a 9-year-old, outwitting the murderers in the high desert.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 20 June 2024
The woman who found the body of a missing 12-year-old girl in a Houston creek is speaking out about the harrowing experience.
—Ingrid Vasquez, Peoplemag, 19 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for harrowing 
Charles Blow, The Mercury News, 21 June 2024
British production outfit United Heroes is set to adapt Live, Fight, Survive, British soldier Shaun Pinner’s autobiographical memoir of his harrowing experience in the Ukraine war, as a feature film with the working title The English Warrior.
—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 June 2024
Next up is Running Girl, a tight action thriller about a young woman who witnesses a harrowing murder only to have to run for her life with a 9-year-old, outwitting the murderers in the high desert.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 20 June 2024
The woman who found the body of a missing 12-year-old girl in a Houston creek is speaking out about the harrowing experience.
—Ingrid Vasquez, Peoplemag, 19 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for harrowing
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'harrowing.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near harrowing
Cite this Entry
“Harrowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/harrowing. Accessed 2 Jul. 2024.
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