gut-wrenching
/ˈɡʌt ˌrɛntʃɪŋ
/adjective informal
Extremely unpleasant or upsetting: the film is a gut-wrenching portrait of domestic violence...
- She felt she had no other option; it was a gut-wrenching decision.
- Her struggle with the drought is gut-wrenching and the ending heartbreaking.
- It is a gut-wrenching cry that can apparently signify great joy or extreme pain.