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View synonyms for

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: , , , , , ,

  3. physically uncomfortable; desolate; stark:

    a harsh land.

    Synonyms:

  4. unpleasant to the ear; grating; strident:

    a harsh voice; a harsh sound.

    Synonyms: , ,

  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

/ ɑːʃ /

adjective

  1. rough or grating to the senses
  2. stern, severe, or cruel
“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

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 )
“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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Derived Forms

  • ˈ󲹰, adverb
  • ˈ󲹰Ա, noun
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Other Word Forms

  • 󲹰l adverb
  • 󲹰n noun
  • v·󲹰 adjective
  • over·󲹰l adverb
  • over·󲹰n noun
  • ܲ·󲹰 adjective
  • un·󲹰l adverb
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Word History and Origins

Origin of harsh1

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English harsk; cognate with German harsch, Danish harsk “rԳ”
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Word History and Origins

Origin of harsh1

C16: probably of Scandinavian origin; compare Middle Low German harsch, Norwegian harsk rancid
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Synonym Study

See stern 1.
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

But can he weather the storm in a harsh political environment, and against what he believes are politically driven charges?

From

President Luis Abinader's government, however, has been criticised for its harsh treatment of Haitian migrants as many are fleeing extreme gang violence and poverty in the capital Port-au-Prince.

From

There’s a growing sentiment among the immigrant community that it’s best to leave on their own terms and with their property rather than against their will via harsh arrests and deportations.

From

In 2009, Barack Obama declared an end to secret detention and harsh interrogation, admitting that, “We tortured some folks.”

From

It was a harsh reminder that under the idyllic white villages dotted with gyros restaurants, hot tubs in AirBnB rentals, and vineyards on rich volcanic soil, two tectonic plates grind in the Earth's crust.

From

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Harry Potterharshen