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 )

Other Word Forms

• harshly adverb
• harshness noun
• overharsh adjective
• overharshly adverb
• overharshness noun
• unharsh adjective
• unharshly 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

It was a powerful speech from a woman who has quickly found her footing in the harshest of spotlights.

From BBC

"As president, I feel a profound sense of responsibility for the harsh treatment our citizens endured," he said, describing the incident as "shocking".

From BBC

Charities and universities have criticised the UK government's "excessively harsh" rules preventing university students from Gaza bringing their families with them to Britain.

From BBC

“Sybil Brand has been incredibly effective in shining a really harsh spotlight on some terrible things going on in the jails,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times

He was still very harsh on me and wanted me to be training harder and playing harder, but I had a feeling he thought I could go somewhere.

From BBC

Related Words

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