harrow
1 Americannoun
verb (used with object)
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to draw a harrow over (land).
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to disturb keenly or painfully; distress the mind, feelings, etc., of.
verb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
-
to ravish; violate; despoil.
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(of Christ) to descend into (hell) to free the righteous held captive.
noun
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a borough of Greater London, in SE England.
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a boarding school for boys, founded in 1571 at Harrow-on-the-Hill, an urban district near London, England.
noun
verb
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(tr) to draw a harrow over (land)
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(intr) (of soil) to become broken up through harrowing
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(tr) to distress; vex
verb
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to plunder or ravish
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(of Christ) to descend into (hell) to rescue righteous souls
noun
Other Word Forms
- harrower noun
- harrowing adjective
- harrowment noun
Etymology
Origin of harrow1
1250–1300; Middle English harwe; akin to Old Norse herfi harrow, Dutch hark rake, Greek krṓpion sickle
Origin of harrow2
before 1000; Middle English harwen, herwen, Old English hergian to harry
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A loss to the Huskies, who are 14-15, would make climbing back from the bubble brink especially harrowing.
From Los Angeles Times
He lives to tell the harrowing tale—and to remember those who did not make it back to daylight.
She argued that too many people "have a horrible, harrowing death" under the current system.
From BBC
Twitch accompanied Major Puff back to the burrow, where a quiet cup of tea was in order after such a harrowing morning.
From Literature
With her increasingly fluent English and photography skills, Mrie finally seeks refuge in the United States — and addresses the behavioral fallout of her harrowing history.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
