Synonyms

harrowing

American

[har-oh-ing] / ˈhær oʊ ɪŋ /

adjective

extremely disturbing or distressing; grievous.

a harrowing experience.

Synonyms:

heartbreaking, agonizing, painful

Other Word Forms

harrowingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of harrowing

First recorded in 1800–10; harrow ¹ + -ing ²

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.

He lives to tell the harrowing tale—and to remember those who did not make it back to daylight.

From The Wall Street Journal

She argued that too many people "have a horrible, harrowing death" under the current system.

From BBC

Twitch accompanied Major Puff back to the burrow, where a quiet cup of tea was in order after such a harrowing morning.

From Literature

With her increasingly fluent English and photography skills, Mrie finally seeks refuge in the United States — and addresses the behavioral fallout of her harrowing history.

From Los Angeles Times

In the book, subtitled “Love, Loss, and a Really Long Walk,” the author intersperses dispatches from her trip with harrowing personal reflections on marriage, motherhood and the self.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023