harrowing
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
- harrowingly adverb
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.
AUGUSTA, Ga. — From wire-to-wire to a harrowing high-wire act.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 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
The Uganda Law Society has condemned the deportations, saying the individuals had effectively been dumped in the country "through an undignified, harrowing and dehumanising process".
From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026
"I think it is important to support any means, any possibility, of not forgetting," added Gelber, who has shared his harrowing experiences with more than 1,000 schools and institutions.
From Barron's • Mar. 19, 2026
Twitch accompanied Major Puff back to the burrow, where a quiet cup of tea was in order after such a harrowing morning.
From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el
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.
