harrowing

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)
harrowing
    adj 1: extremely painful [syn: {agonizing}, {agonising},
           {excruciating}, {harrowing}, {torturing}, {torturous},
           {torturesome}]
    
from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Harrow \Har"row\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Harrowed}
   (h[a^]r"r[-o]d); p. pr. & vb. n. {Harrowing}.] [OE. harowen,
   harwen; cf. Dan. harve. See {Harrow}, n.]
   1. To draw a harrow over, as for the purpose of breaking
      clods and leveling the surface, or for covering seed; as,
      to harrow land.
      [1913 Webster]

            Will he harrow the valleys after thee? --Job xxxix.
                                                  10.
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   2. To break or tear, as with a harrow; to wound; to lacerate;
      to torment or distress; to vex.
      [1913 Webster]

            My aged muscles harrowed up with whips. --Rowe.
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            I could a tale unfold, whose lightest word
            Would harrow up thy soul.             --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]
    
from Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
58 Moby Thesaurus words for "harrowing":
      acute, afflictive, agonizing, alarming, atrocious, biting,
      chilling, consuming, cramping, cruel, daunting, desolating,
      disconcerting, dismaying, disquieting, distressing, disturbing,
      excruciating, frightening, gnawing, grave, griping, hard, harsh,
      heartbreaking, heartrending, heartsickening, heartwounding,
      horrible, horrifying, hurtful, hurting, nerve-racking, painful,
      paroxysmal, piercing, poignant, pungent, racking, rending, severe,
      sharp, shooting, spasmatic, spasmic, spasmodic, stabbing, stinging,
      tearing, terrifying, tormenting, torturing, torturous, traumatic,
      upsetting, vexing, worrisome, worrying

    

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