1
as in painful
hard to accept or bear especially emotionally
a harrowing portrayal of the ravages of war
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in wrenching
intensely or unbearably painful
the harrowing amputations without any anesthetic that soldiers and sailors once were forced to endure
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in plaguing
to cause persistent suffering to
the villagers were gaunt and sickly, harrowed by years of disease and starvation
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of harrowing
Jelani Cobb, New Yorker, 25 May 2025
Born on the Fourth of July (1989) In Oliver Stone's harrowing war drama, Cruise plays Ron Kovic, a real-life Marine veteran who, in his autobiography Born on the Fourth of July, documented his worldview's radical shift after enlisting in the Vietnam War and becoming paralyzed on the battlefield.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 24 May 2025
School bullies begin to circle, paranoia builds, and more chaos arrives in the shape of Alpha’s uncle (a hollow-eyed, harrowing Tahar Rahim), an addict who is among the infected.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 23 May 2025
The jury has seen his brutality in the harrowing video at the InterContinental Hotel and photographs of her injuries.
—Elizabeth Geddes, Rolling Stone, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for harrowing
Adjective
Johnson’s dilemma will be familiar to anyone who has observed higher education in this country during the harrowing academic year that is now coming to a close.
—Jelani Cobb, New Yorker, 25 May 2025
Born on the Fourth of July (1989) In Oliver Stone's harrowing war drama, Cruise plays Ron Kovic, a real-life Marine veteran who, in his autobiography Born on the Fourth of July, documented his worldview's radical shift after enlisting in the Vietnam War and becoming paralyzed on the battlefield.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 24 May 2025
School bullies begin to circle, paranoia builds, and more chaos arrives in the shape of Alpha’s uncle (a hollow-eyed, harrowing Tahar Rahim), an addict who is among the infected.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 23 May 2025
The jury has seen his brutality in the harrowing video at the InterContinental Hotel and photographs of her injuries.
—Elizabeth Geddes, Rolling Stone, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for harrowing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harrowing
Adjective
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For millions of Americans, the road to an Alzheimer’s diagnosis is slow and painful, sought only when symptoms become unmistakable.—
Louise Jacobsen Fisher,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 June 2025
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And sometimes, that transformation, though painful, can deepen our capacity for compassion, connection, and appreciation for the precious gift of life itself.—
Charell G. Coleman,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2025
Adjective
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Of the treaty’s three American signers—John Adams, John Jay and Benjamin Franklin—Franklin was said to have taken the harshest line against the loyalists.—
Greg Daugherty,
Smithsonian Magazine,
4 June 2025
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Netflix released the trailer for the reality TV show on YouTube on Wednesday, which starts with a voice-over of a cheerleader talking about how the DCC will always be in each other’s lives before explaining the harsh reality of trying out to be a Cowboys cheerleader with all the talent.—
Lawrence Dow,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 June 2025
Adjective
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Included in that torturous run was a 24-game losing streak.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
1 June 2025
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Jenkins wants to retire to focus on her health, leaving a legacy of having led her community through a torturous time.—
Curtis Bunn,
NBC news,
25 May 2025
Verb
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That’s changing this year, as three Democratic governors announced new initiatives aimed at addressing disparities afflicting boys and men.—
Elizabeth Robinson,
NBC news,
25 Mar. 2025
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One key focus of these efforts should address the deficiencies afflicting the market for biologics, which are medicines made or derived from biological processes.—
Wayne Winegarden,
Forbes,
5 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The reason Evin is infamous is because of its terribly cruel high security detention centers that are poorly supervised by the Prison Chief.—
Jeff Kaufman,
Time,
30 May 2025
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But then perhaps that is her unsatisfying but depressingly undeniable point: there is no challenging minds this small, behaviors this cruel, spirits this mean.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
30 May 2025
Adjective
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But by the end of Episode 7, viewers may very well be repeating the debate about Ellie, whose ultimate fate makes for an agonizing cliffhanger that won’t be resolved until Season 3 premieres (at least).—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
25 May 2025
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The Cabinet confirmation hearings have been agonizing for congressional Democrats, who have watched in horror as Donald Trump has pushed through one outlandish candidate after another.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
19 May 2025
Adjective
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Former New York Daily News reporter Frank Isola covered the Knicks for the hometown newspaper and remembers the slow and excruciating decay at Madison Square Garden.—
Mark Morales,
CNN Money,
29 May 2025
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My cancer had invaded my bones, causing excruciating pain.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 May 2025
Adjective
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The auto-revive for solo players on Night Lords is to combat the intense difficulties of those fights where a single wrong move can be death.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2025
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And, believe it or not, Europe does have air conditioning, which can be quite an intense shift when moving between the outdoors into coach buses or stores.—
Gregory Robinson,
Travel + Leisure,
31 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Harrowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harrowing. Accessed 11 Jun. 2025.
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