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Synonyms

gut-wrenching

American  
[guht-ren-ching] / ˈgʌtˌrɛn tʃɪŋ /

adjective

  1. involving great distress or anguish; agonizing.

    a gut-wrenching decision.


gut-wrenching British  

adjective

  1. informal causing great distress or suffering

    gut-wrenching scenes

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

See Examples For:

To earn an extra 6.3 percentage points annually, the portfolio trailed by as much as 38.4 points over a 12-month period and by a gut-wrenching 72.6 points over 36 months.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026

"It's gut-wrenching," says Kimberly Jones of Honey's Cider near Bath, whose orchard has produced only a 10th of its normal amount of apples.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

“To make the decision was gut-wrenching because it was months and months of mulling it over with my parents and my brother,” said Susan Wong-Young, the daughter of Heart’s owners.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

“Maddie’s Secret” is the rare comedic parody that can shift into total, gut-wrenching sincerity with the snap of a finger.

From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026

The first thing I remember about being a person living in Little Rock, Arkansas, during the 1940s is the gut-wrenching fear in my heart and in my tummy that I was in danger.

From "March Forward, Girl" by Melba Pattillo Beals

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