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harsh

[ hahrsh ]
/ hɑrʃ /
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See synonyms for: harsh / harsher / harshest / harshly on Thesaurus.com

adjective
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Origin of harsh

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

synonym study for harsh

2. See stern1.

OTHER WORDS FROM harsh

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use harsh in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for harsh

harsh
/ (hɑːʃ) /

adjective
rough or grating to the senses
stern, severe, or cruel
verb
(tr) slang 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 of harsh

harshly, adverbharshness, noun

Word Origin for harsh

C16: probably of Scandinavian origin; compare Middle Low German harsch, Norwegian harsk rancid
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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