Word
harrow
Phoneticshar·row, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈhæɹoʊ/
UK/hˈæɹəʊ/
Definition
v. to make someone feel very worried, upset, or frightened. It describes an experience that is extremely painful to go through.
v. to cause great distress or mental suffering to someone. Often used in the passive voice to describe traumatic events; the present participle 'harrowing' is the dominant form encountered in modern usage.
Examples
“The news of the accident began to harrow the family.”
“The documentary aims to harrow the audience with its graphic depiction of the famine's impact on rural communities.”
“The veteran's memoirs continue to harrow readers with their unflinching accounts of the psychological toll exacted by years of trench warfare.”
Examples
simple
“The news of the accident began to harrow the family.”
contextual
“The documentary aims to harrow the audience with its graphic depiction of the famine's impact on rural communities.”
complex
“The veteran's memoirs continue to harrow readers with their unflinching accounts of the psychological toll exacted by years of trench warfare.”
Usage
The verb is transitive and takes a direct object; it is frequently encountered in its participial form 'harrowing'.
Real-World Examples
“There is art that’s nice to look at and art that harrows the soul.” “Frain said he knows of many terror survivors who can never return to London, as they remain too harrowed what they experienced in attacks.” Word family
VERB
ADJECTIVE
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C2 ProficiencyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.8.5–9.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 6.0114–120
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C2 · Proficiency
- Updated
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