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

“Mr. Kaleel has always maintained his innocence and that he took his initial plea bargain on the advice of counsel to avoid a harsher sentence should he lose at trial,” Hardie said.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

At least seven people were killed, including two children, in Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities overnight into Wednesday, and there are fears that the coming winter may be the harshest yet for Ukraine.

Read more on BBC

Shares of Six Flags are down 46.8% so far this year, as inflation and harsh weather have hindered consumer spending at its amusement parks.

Read more on MarketWatch

Prosecutors had sought the death penalty for Myeong, saying that the victim's family had asked for a harsh punishment.

Read more on BBC

Scientists have recently captured a rare look at the harsh winter conditions swirling above Mars' north pole.

Read more on Science Daily

Related Words

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