harrowing situation

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "harrowing situation" is correct and usable in written English.
It is an idiom which is most often used to describe an extremely difficult or distressing situation. For example, "The family endured a harrowing situation when their home was destroyed in the fire."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

10 human-written examples

But the sharp and sustained losses of recent years have resulted in a harrowing situation for many municipalities.

The Washington Post

It's a harrowing situation for her and a potentially tricky one for filmmakers, as is apparent from how dissimilar directors handle characters trapped in rooms, coffins, airplanes and the claustrophobia-inducing like.

The New York Times

Then at the end of their journey, they discovered that here in the United States we had made it intentional policy not only to put them in jail, but to commit the ultimate violence and deprivation by separating them from the only people in the world who would enable them to adapt, persevere, and thrive in this harrowing situation.

Stanford University

The first thing you hear survivors of any harrowing situation say to the media is, "I never thought it would happen to me.

Forbes

That doesn't necessarily mean that Americans care more about Miley Cyrus twerking than the harrowing situation in Syria, where innocent civilians have been gassed to death.

Los Angeles Times

The victim's mind morphs to adapt to the harrowing situation, sometimes to the extent of sympathizing with the kidnapper (Stockholm syndrome).

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

50 human-written examples

It is not considered lightly, and implies harrowing situations at home.

The Guardian

Fortunately, despite harrowing situations like mine, almost none of us will ever deal with anything like it.

The New York Times

Be prepared to find yourself in harrowing situations.

WikiHow

Ms. Quinn was standing beside a woman who had faced much more harrowing situations – Lindsay Melki, an Army veteran who flew a Black Hawk helicopter in Iraq in 2007 and 2008 – to announce what she would do as mayor in her first 100 days in office to help veterans.

The New York Times

Hughes writes, "What the whole audience wanted, evidently, from its highest to its lowest, with a kind of greed, was the language of more and more affecting and awesome emotions, more and more harrowing situations, more irresistible, stunning, hair-raising eloquence".

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "harrowing situation" when you want to emphasize the extremely distressing or disturbing nature of a set of circumstances. It conveys a sense of intense suffering and difficulty.

Common error

Avoid using "harrowing situation" to describe everyday inconveniences or minor setbacks. This dilutes the impact of the phrase and can be perceived as hyperbolic. Reserve it for genuinely distressing and severe circumstances.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "harrowing situation" functions as a noun phrase, where "harrowing" acts as a descriptive adjective modifying the noun "situation". It typically serves to depict a scenario characterized by intense distress, suffering, or difficulty, as confirmed by Ludwig AI.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Academia

25%

Formal & Business

15%

Less common in

Science

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "harrowing situation" is a common and effective way to describe an extremely distressing or difficult scenario. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and frequent use in various contexts, particularly in news, academic writing, and business communications. While versatile, it's important to reserve this phrase for situations that genuinely warrant such a strong descriptor, avoiding overuse in trivial contexts. Synonyms like "distressing predicament" or "dire circumstances" can offer nuanced alternatives depending on the specific emphasis you want to convey.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

distressing predicament

Focuses on the troubling and unsettling nature of the situation.

dire circumstances

Emphasizes the severe and urgent nature of the conditions.

grueling ordeal

Highlights the exhausting and painful nature of the experience.

traumatic event

Shifts the focus to the deeply distressing and emotionally damaging aspect.

severe crisis

Underscores the critical and potentially dangerous nature of the situation.

difficult plight

Emphasizes the unfortunate and challenging conditions someone faces.

desperate straits

Highlights the urgency and lack of options in the situation.

precarious position

Focuses on the instability and risk associated with the situation.

critical juncture

Emphasizes the importance and potential turning point of the situation.

adverse conditions

Broadly describes unfavorable and challenging environmental factors.

FAQs

What does "harrowing situation" mean?

A "harrowing situation" describes an extremely distressing, disturbing, or painful experience. It suggests a situation filled with intense suffering and difficulty.

How can I use "harrowing situation" in a sentence?

You might say, "The refugees faced a "harrowing situation" as they fled their war-torn country", or "The family endured a "harrowing situation" after losing their home in the flood."

What are some synonyms for "harrowing situation"?

Alternatives include "distressing predicament", "dire circumstances", or "grueling ordeal", each emphasizing different aspects of the difficulty.

Is it appropriate to use "harrowing situation" to describe a minor inconvenience?

No, "harrowing situation" should be reserved for genuinely severe and distressing circumstances. Using it for minor inconveniences dilutes its impact and can sound hyperbolic. Opt for less dramatic language in those cases.