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

Recent Examples on the Web Texas family describes harrowing escape from devastating tornado 02:45 Residents in rural central and west Texas are also working to recover from tornadoes that left a trail of damage. CBS News, 4 May 2024 Rachel then embarks on a harrowing journey in search of the five children she was separated from in this gripping novel about the resilience of a mother’s love. Carly Tagen-Dye, Peoplemag, 4 May 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.

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 7 May. 2024.

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