harrowing

adjective

har·​row·​ing ˈher-ə-wiŋ How to pronounce harrowing (audio)
ˈha-rə-
: acutely distressing or painful
a harrowing experience
Mr. Wu's work in a coal mine was particularly harrowing.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
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.
Recent episodes of Aaron Hernandez have excelled by stepping outside Aaron’s point of view, but this finale immerses us back in his state of mind, forcing us to experience his harrowing final days and really understand what his paranoia and insecurity felt like. Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 12 Nov. 2024 As chaos engulfs Berlin over a harrowing twenty-four hours, Krützfeld and Lehmann are confronted with a profound moral dilemma: uphold the system or take a stand for what is right. Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 4 Nov. 2024 Combs’ homes were raided in March, and in May, CNN obtained and published the harrowing hotel surveillance video showing Combs throwing, kicking, stomping, and dragging Ventura in the hallway of the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles. Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2024 The next day, Monday, marked the beginning of a harrowing ordeal for Pérez’s family. Nicole Foy, ProPublica, 22 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for harrowing 

Word History

Etymology

from present participle of harrow entry 3

First Known Use

1799, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of harrowing was in 1799

Dictionary Entries Near harrowing

Cite this Entry

“Harrowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/harrowing. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

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