harsh
Americanadjective
-
harsher,
comparative
-
harshest
superlative
-
ungentle and unpleasant in action or effect.
harsh treatment; harsh manners.
-
grim or unpleasantly severe; stern; cruel; austere.
a harsh life; a harsh master.
- Synonyms:
- bad-tempered, acrimonious, brutal, unkind, unfeeling, hard, brusque
-
physically uncomfortable; desolate; stark.
a harsh land.
- Synonyms:
- rough
-
unpleasant to the ear; grating; strident.
a harsh voice; a harsh sound.
- Synonyms:
- unharmonious, dissonant, discordant
-
unpleasantly rough, ragged, or coarse to the touch.
a harsh surface.
-
jarring to the eye or to the esthetic sense; unrefined; crude; raw.
harsh colors.
-
unpleasant to the taste or sense of smell; bitter; acrid.
a harsh flavor; a harsh odor.
adjective
-
rough or grating to the senses
-
stern, severe, or cruel
verb
Synonym Usage
See stern 1.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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harshnessnoun
-
overharshnessnoun
-
overharshadjective
-
unharshadjective
-
harshlyadverb
-
overharshlyadverb
-
unharshlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of harsh
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English harsk; cognate with German harsch, Danish harsk “rancid”
Explanation
Harsh means severe or strict, particularly when referring to punishment. It would be a harsh punishment if you got grounded for two weeks just for coming home a little late for dinner. There are many shades of meaning for the word harsh depending on its context, but all imply that something is more unpleasant than it needs to be. Harsh lighting hurts your eyes. A harsh disciplinarian gives out punishments that are too severe. Whereas constructive criticism is usually helpful, a harsh critique will only make you upset. The harsh reality of the world today is that millions of people are starving while others have too much.
Vocabulary lists containing harsh
Negative Words to Describe a Person
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Common Five-letter Words for Wordle, List 4
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Oh, No! Synonyms for "Bad"
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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.
See Examples For:
Extreme fraternity and sorority pledging often hinges on a harsh power dynamic: Aspiring members must complete whatever tasks the recruitment leaders assign them—and are punished if they refuse.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
Plants would need help accessing limited resources while also coping with harsh growing conditions.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 26, 2026
Kind of a harsh read on her work, all around.
From Slate ● Sep. 23, 2026
Those figures were harsh but he will hope for better before the series is out.
From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026
I answered her in the same harsh way.
From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff
The justice already visited on her is harsher than any a court might deliver.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026
Others in the market offered a harsher assessment of Warsh’s performance.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026
Australian victim Bianca Jones' parents criticised the Laos authorities for not pursuing harsher charges.
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
It is these administrative provisions, rather than the harsher punishments, that lie at the heart of the Akal Takht's objections.
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
The tone of Fuad’s faxes is becoming harsher.
From "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman
North Korea has for decades defied some of the harshest sanctions in the world aimed at forcing its leaders to give up its nuclear and long-range missiles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
They formed an essential part of the survival strategies that enabled people to live in some of the harshest environments on Earth.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 10, 2026
They are each other’s first readers and, occasionally, harshest critics.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 1, 2026
Many try to keep cool by covering their heads, drinking salted water or adjusting work hours to avoid the harshest afternoon sun - but such measures offer only limited relief.
From BBC ● May 28, 2026
His appetite did not change under either the best or the harshest of circumstances.
From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
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.
