harrowing

[ har-oh-ing ]

/ ˈhær oʊ ɪŋ /

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See synonyms for harrowing on Thesaurus.com

adjective

extremely disturbing or distressing; grievous: a harrowing experience.

OTHER WORDS FOR harrowing

painful, agonizing, tormenting, heartbreaking.

See synonyms for harrowing on Thesaurus.com

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of harrowing

First recorded in 1800–10; harrow¹ + -ing²

OTHER WORDS FROM harrowing

har·row·ing·ly, adverb

Words nearby harrowing

Harrison red, Harris Tweed, Harrogate, Harrovian, harrow, harrowing, harrumph, harry, Harry Potter, harsh, harshen

How to use harrowing in a sentence

It will seem crazy and oftentimes harrowing at first, but it slows down, and you find your head coach voice pretty quickly.
Asian Coaches Association advocates for ‘minority of minorities’ in college basketball|Gene Wang|February 9, 2021|Washington Post
Vanessa Kirby’s performance was singled out for carrying “Pieces of a Woman,” a harrowing drama about a home birth.
Golden Globe nominations 2021: ‘The Crown’ leads TV nominations while ‘Mank’ dominates movies|Emily Yahr, Bethonie Butler, Sonia Rao|February 3, 2021|Washington Post
It is one of the most harrowing accounts of the insurrection that has been made public to date — and a testament to just how devastating the event was to our democracy.
“I thought I was going to die”: AOC’s harrowing account of the Capitol Hill attack|Zack Beauchamp|February 2, 2021|Vox
In this episode, Finnegan, whose surfing memoir Barbarian Days won the Pulitzer Prize, shares one of his most harrowing experiences in the water.
A Veteran Surfer’s Big-Wave Nightmare|Outside Editors|January 27, 2021|Outside Online

Schaff later told a harrowing story of being trapped in the Capitol as rioters broke in.
She Photographed Police Abuse at a 2014 BLM March Then Watched the Image Go Viral During Capitol Riot|by Lisa Larson-Walker|January 11, 2021|ProPublica
As the year draws to a close, these goals remain unfulfilled and the news from CAR continues to be harrowing.
The Year’s Most Forgotten Humanitarian Crisis|Nina Strochlic|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
She also tracks his deteriorating health through the harrowing videos of the captives regularly released by the Nusra Front.
A Sunni-Shia Love Story Imperiled by al Qaeda|Ruth Michaelson|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
His harrowing escape from Vienna when Hitler took Austria in March 1938 is dramatically chronicled in his memoirs.
The Catholic Philosopher Who Took on Hitler|John Henry Crosby|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
On Thursday, Detective Superintendent McDonald described his account as “harrowing” and compelling.
Victim: I Watched British MPs Rape and Murder Young Boys|Nico Hines|December 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Court painter to the Spanish Crown, he is perhaps best known for his harrowing Disasters of War series.
The Best Coffee Table Books of 2014|Robert Birnbaum|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Harrowing makes finer the lumps near the surface, and mixes the fertilizer deeper than a rake can be used.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
Mike and Joe would finish harrowing the potato field and begin planting.
The Idyl of Twin Fires|Walter Prichard Eaton
Reaching my farm at eight, I found Joe harrowing in manure on the garden and Mike sowing peas.
The Idyl of Twin Fires|Walter Prichard Eaton
There is nothing either harrowing or cabalistic in the place; and you can see nothing but two forms, a screen, and a crucifix.
Our Churches and Chapels|Atticus
At last the gangway was removed, and a kind of quietness fell upon the crowd, waiting for the next harrowing sensation.
The Relief of Mafeking|Filson Young