harsh

[ hahrsh ]

adjective

1. ungentle and unpleasant in action or effect:

   harsh treatment; harsh manners.

2. grim or unpleasantly severe; stern; cruel; austere:

   a harsh life; a harsh master.

   Synonyms: bad-tempered, acrimonious, brutal, unkind, unfeeling, hard, brusque

3. physically uncomfortable; desolate; stark:

   a harsh land.

   Synonyms: rough

4. unpleasant to the ear; grating; strident:

   a harsh voice; a harsh sound.

   Synonyms: unharmonious, dissonant, discordant

5. unpleasantly rough, ragged, or coarse to the touch:

   a harsh surface.

6. jarring to the eye or to the esthetic sense; unrefined; crude; raw:

   harsh colors.

7. unpleasant to the taste or sense of smell; bitter; acrid:

   a harsh flavor; a harsh odor.

harsh

/ hɑːʃ /

adjective

1. rough or grating to the senses
2. stern, severe, or cruel

verb

1. slang.
   tr to cause (a state of elation) to be diminished or ended (esp in the phrases harsh someone's mellow and harsh someone's buzz )

Derived Forms

• ˈharshly, adverb
• ˈharshness, noun

Other Words From

• harshly adverb
• harshness noun
• over·harsh adjective
• over·harshly adverb
• over·harshness noun
• un·harsh adjective
• un·harshly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of harsh¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English harsk; cognate with German harsch, Danish harsk “rancid”

Word History and Origins

Origin of harsh¹

C16: probably of Scandinavian origin; compare Middle Low German harsch, Norwegian harsk rancid

Synonym Study

See stern ¹.

Example Sentences

The atmosphere in the courtroom became heated when Ms Pelicot was questioned by defence lawyer Nadia El-Bouroumi, who suggested she had used "harsh words" towards the other defendants, but not her husband.

From BBC

Having watched the convincing wins against Germany and Canada from the comfort of the British bench, Watson and Nicholls arrived to a harsh welcome in Malaga.

From BBC

And Trump’s decision to pick Rubio and Waltz suggests his administration will “take a much harsher, muscular approach with China,” says Lyle Morris from the Asia Society’s Centre for China Analysis.

From BBC

Their trial marked the largest use of the harsh national security law which China imposed on Hong Kong shortly after the city’s explosive pro-democracy protests in 2019.

From BBC

In handing down a harsher sentence, Anderson referred to Moore as a “wolf in sheep’s clothing.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• bitter
• brutal
• cruel
• grim
• hard
• punitive
• relentless
• rude
• ruthless
• severe
• sharp
• stern
• stringent
• tough
• unkind
• unpleasant