harrowing
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of harrowing
Explanation
Being attacked by a hungry shark or being chased by an unruly mob on the streets can be described as harrowing, which means "provoking feelings of fear or horror." The adjective harrowing is often used to describe a firsthand experience that is terrifying, such as a harrowing drive home in icy weather, but it can also refer to a secondhand experience, such as reading or watching something that is very frightening or disturbing. If you read someone’s account of being shipwrecked in Antarctica, you might describe that as a harrowing story. A harrowing experience typically unfolds over a period of time. For example, if you bump into a shark while swimming, that’s merely scary. If the shark attacks you, then it becomes a harrowing ordeal.
Vocabulary lists containing harrowing
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Grade 9, List 5
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The Catcher in the Rye
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Ms. Hansen’s account of Mr. Erdogan’s purge of the universities is harrowing.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026
Recounting razor-sharp memories starting from childhood, Park’s book includes the harrowing story of his family’s immigration from Argentina to L.A. when he was 3.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026
You can read more on what emerged over nine weeks of often harrowing evidence inside Liverpool Town Hall here.
From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026
Involving more than 150 aircraft, this was “one of the largest, most complex, most harrowing combat searches” ever attempted, Mr. Trump said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026
In particular, there was a vision of Jesus harrowing Hell, the demons frightening to behold.
From "Crispin: The Cross of Lead" by Avi
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
