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

When Escobar later escaped, pressure was put on his known acquaintances to help track him down - Higuita would end up copping a harsh punishment for his high-profile association with the notorious criminal.

From BBC

In 2018, the Wall Street Journal published a report that said co-workers described him as harsh, demanding and prone to crossing the boundaries of appropriate workplace behavior with explicit language and behavior.

From Los Angeles Times

The way harsh US tariffs have pushed India, the world's biggest democracy, so quickly into the warm embrace of China, the world's biggest autocracy, will also be of concern.

From BBC

Each component is tested to ensure it can survive the Moon's harsh conditions.

From BBC

The resulting cascade on the court system has been compounded by Pirro’s push for prosecutors to bring the harshest charges allowable, even for minor infractions.

From Salon

Related Words

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