# harrow

/ˈhæɹoʊ/ (US) · /hˈæɹəʊ/ (UK) · CEFR C2 · Verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/harrow
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Definition

to make someone feel very worried, upset, or frightened. It describes an experience that is extremely painful to go through.

For teachers: 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.

## Usage notes

- The verb is transitive and takes a direct object; it is frequently encountered in its participial form 'harrowing'.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.