Top definition. gut-wrenching. Adjective to describe something so painfully emotional, and tragic, that your stomach feels knotted. It relates to feelings of guilt, sadness and devastated sympathy. The really tragic suicide of ten year old Ashlynn Conner, from Illinois, suffering after being bullied, was described as 'gut-wrenching'. #devastated#heartbroken#shocked#horrified#disturbed#horrific#dreadful#gut wrenching#heart wrenching.