harrowing

adjective

har·​row·​ing ˈher-ə-wiŋ How to pronounce harrowing (audio)
ˈha-rə-
Synonyms of harrowingnext
: acutely distressing or painful
a harrowing experience
Mr. Wu's work in a coal mine was particularly harrowing.— Charles Horner
harrowingly adverb

Synonyms

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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.
Listen to this article A man was killed in a harrowing shootout with police outside a Philadelphia hospital Thursday. — David Matthews, New York Daily News, 21 Mar. 2025 Canadian film actress Jasmine Mooney, known for her role in American Pie, had a recent harrowing border experience. — Andy J. Semotiuk, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025 Yeon-hui is a person who has to face her harrowing trauma and go right to the center of it all. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 Mar. 2025 As some know, director/screenwriter Elijah Bynum’s harrowing feature has been collecting dust on the shelf for two years due mostly to Majors’ problems, including his conviction of misdemeanor assaults against Grace Jabbari. — Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2025 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

Rhymes for harrowing

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harrowing
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Cite this Entry

“Harrowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/harrowing. Accessed 26 Mar. 2025.

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Nglish: Translation of harrowing for Spanish Speakers

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