Word forms: comparative harsher, superlative harshest
1. adjective
Harsh climates or conditions are very difficult for people, animals, and plants to live in.
The weather grew harsh, chilly and unpredictable.
...the harsh desert environment.
...after the harsh experience of the war.
Synonyms: bleak, cold, freezing, severe More Synonyms of harsh
harshnessuncountable noun
...the harshness of their living conditions. [+ of]
Synonyms: bitterness, acrimony, ill-temper, sourness More Synonyms of harsh
Synonyms: severity, brutality, roughness, sternness More Synonyms of harsh
2. adjective
Harsh actions or speech are unkind and show no understanding or sympathy.
He said many harsh and unkind things about his opponents.
Synonyms: hard, sharp, severe, bitter More Synonyms of harsh
harshlyadverb [ADVERB with verb]
She's been told that her husband is being harshly treated in prison.
'Why didn't you tell me before?' asked Hunter harshly.
Synonyms: severely, roughly, cruelly, strictly More Synonyms of harsh
harshnessuncountable noun
...treating him with great harshness.
Synonyms: bitterness, acrimony, ill-temper, sourness More Synonyms of harsh
Synonyms: severity, brutality, roughness, sternness More Synonyms of harsh
3. adjective
Something that is harsh is so hard, bright, or rough that it seems unpleasant or harmful.
Tropical colours may look rather harsh in our dull northern light.
...harsher detergents that can leave hair brittle.
harshnessuncountable noun
...as the wine ages, losing its bitter harshness.
Synonyms: bitterness, acrimony, ill-temper, sourness More Synonyms of harsh
Synonyms: severity, brutality, roughness, sternness More Synonyms of harsh
4. adjective
Harsh voices and sounds are ones that are rough and unpleasant to listen to.
It's a pity she has such a loud harsh voice.
Synonyms: raucous, rough, jarring, grating More Synonyms of harsh
harshlyadverb [ADVERB with verb]
Chris laughed harshly.
harshnessuncountable noun
Then in a tone of abrupt harshness, he added, 'Open these trunks!'.
Synonyms: bitterness, acrimony, ill-temper, sourness More Synonyms of harsh
Synonyms: severity, brutality, roughness, sternness More Synonyms of harsh
5. adjective
If you talk about harsh realities or facts, or the harsh truth, you are emphasizing that they are true or real, although they are unpleasant and people try to avoid thinking about them.
[emphasis]
The harsh truth is that luck plays a big part in who will live or die.
More Synonyms of harsh
harsh in British English
(hɑːʃ)
adjective
1.
rough or grating to the senses
2.
stern, severe, or cruel
verb
3. (transitive) 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
harshly (ˈharshly)
adverb
harshness (ˈharshness)
noun
Word origin
C16: probably of Scandinavian origin; compare Middle Low German harsch, Norwegian harsk rancid
harsh in American English
(hɑrʃ)
adjective
1.
unpleasantly sharp or rough
; specif.,
a.
grating to the ear; discordant
b.
too bright or vivid to the eye; glaring
c.
too strong to the taste; bitter
d.
not smooth to the touch; coarse
2.
unpleasantly crude, abrupt, or strained so as to be offensive to the mind or feelings
the harsh realities of death
3.
rough, crude, or forbidding in appearance
beneath his harsh exterior
4.
excessively severe; cruel or unfeeling
a harsh punishment
5.
oppressive, inhospitable, inclement, etc.
a harsh climate
Derived forms
harshly (ˈharshly)
adverb
harshness (ˈharshness)
noun
Word origin
ME harsk, akin to Ger harsch, rough, raw < IE base *kars, to scratch, comb > L carduus, thistle, carrere, to card (wool)
Examples of 'harsh' in a sentence
harsh
In fact she is probably her own harshest critic.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
This harsh lesson has doubtless sunk in right across the academic world.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
We've learnt a lot of harsh lessons today.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
And what a harsh lesson for Gloucester.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It's simply facing reality in its harshest form.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
But a harsh strain of winter flu had roared in, opening up opportunities.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
This seems a bit harsh.
The Sun (2017)
Iwas taught a harsh lesson in my early days at Liverpool that stood me in good stead for the rest of my playing career.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The interior of the gallery had become woefully shabby, with dull grey walls, poor flooring and harsh fluorescent lighting.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
This resulted in the family enduring harsh criticism in the media.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Young people will face harsh realities in the world of work.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
It has taken a crisis of historic proportions to bring these harsh lessons to the fore.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
The reality is as harsh as bright sunlight is unforgiving.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
That is the harsh reality of facing the world champions.
The Sun (2016)
You need to be your harshest critic.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The sonic landscape had changed to something altogether harsher and more real.
The Sun (2010)
And that extra warmth in the seas usually keeps us protected from the harshest cold of winter.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Seems a bit harsh in the middle of the festive season.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
And she is not impressed by the tendency towards harsh criticism from users of the internet.
The Sun (2012)
Our first stop brought into sharp focus the harsh realities the people here endured during the war.
The Sun (2014)
He is learning a tough lesson in the harshest possible way.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Avoid harsh brights on the lips and always use a lip liner to minimise any colour bleed.
The Sun (2009)
Do not expect that numbers in your balance sheet can protect you from harsh economic reality.
Charles A. D'Ambrosio & Stewart D. Hodges & Richard Brealey & Stewart Myers Principles of Corporate Finance (1991)
The doors of his room were flung open onto a beautiful garden and the harsh spring light cut across his bed.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The light is harsh and bright.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Women can be my harshest critics.
The Sun (2015)
Those who said he should serve longer for his part in the killing were brushed aside and accused of being harsh and cruel.
The Sun (2010)
Though his worst nightmare became harsh reality, something unexpectedly wonderful emerged from it.
The Sun (2015)
Although the winter was still young, the cold was harsh.
Christianity Today (2000)
The city usually experiences harsh winters, but this winter has been one of the coldest in decades.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
This does not mean that harsh winter conditions are not possible, just that they cannotbe identified at the moment.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
These make the voice harsh, bitter, cold or lifeless.
Lumsden, Robert 23 Steps to Successful Achievement (1972)
In other languages
harsh
British English: harsh /hɑːʃ/ ADJECTIVE
Harsh climates or living conditions are very difficult for people, animals, and plants to exist in.
The weather grew harsh and chilly.
American English: harsh
Arabic: خَشِن
Brazilian Portuguese: rigoroso
Chinese: 苛刻的
Croatian: oštar
Czech: drsný podmínky
Danish: barsk
Dutch: hardvochtig
European Spanish: crudo severo
Finnish: ankara raaka
French: rude
German: hart
Greek: δριμύς
Italian: duro
Japanese: 厳しい
Korean: 거친
Norwegian: barsk
Polish: surowy szorstki
European Portuguese: rigoroso
Romanian: aspru
Russian: суровый
Latin American Spanish: crudo
Swedish: hård
Thai: รุนแรง
Turkish: şiddetli
Ukrainian: суворий
Vietnamese: khắc nghiệt
All related terms of 'harsh'
harsh lesson
You use lesson to refer to an experience which acts as a warning to you or an example from which you should learn.
harsh penalty
A penalty is a punishment that someone is given for doing something which is against a law or rule.
harsh reality
The reality of a situation is the truth about it, especially when it is unpleasant or difficult to deal with.
harsh weather
The weather is the condition of the atmosphere in one area at a particular time, for example if it is raining , hot , or windy .
harsh winter
Winter is the season between autumn and spring when the weather is usually cold.
harsh criticism
Criticism is the action of expressing disapproval of something or someone. A criticism is a statement that expresses disapproval.
harsh judgment
A judgment is an opinion that you have or express after thinking carefully about something.
harsh treatment
Your treatment of someone is the way you behave towards them or deal with them.
harsh conditions
The conditions under which something is done or happens are all the factors or circumstances which directly affect it.
harsh environment
Your environment consists of the particular natural surroundings in which you live or exist, considered in relation to their physical characteristics or weather conditions.
Chinese translation of 'harsh'
harsh
(hɑːʃ)
adj
[criticism, sentence, treatment]严(嚴)酷的 (yánkù de)
[conditions, climate, winter]恶(惡)劣的 (èliè de)
[sound, light]刺耳的 (cì'ěr de)
[chemical]刺激性的 (cìjīxìng de)
1 (adjective)
Definition
severe and difficult to cope with
a prison where conditions are particularly harsh
Synonyms
severe
wearing her felt hats and severe grey suits
hard
Those were hard times.
tough
She had a pretty tough childhood.
grim
Her expression was grim and unpleasant.
stark
the stark, white, characterless fireplace in the drawing room
stringent
Its drug-testing procedures are the most stringent in the world.
austere
an austere, distant, cold person
Spartan
Their spartan lifestyle prohibits a fridge or a phone.
inhospitable
comfortless
bare-bones
2 (adjective)
Definition
severe and difficult to cope with
The weather grew harsh and unpredictable.
Synonyms
bleak
The weather can be quite bleak on the coast.
cold
It was bitterly cold outside.
freezing
a freezing January afternoon
severe
The start of the year brought a very severe winter.
bitter
the scene of bitter fighting
icy
An icy wind blew across the moor.
3 (adjective)
Definition
unkind and showing no understanding
the harsh experience of war
Synonyms
cruel
They should spend a long time in jail to reflect on their cruel acts.
the persecution of prisoners by cruel captors
savage
This was a savage and needless attack.
brutal
He was the victim of a very brutal attack.
ruthless
a ruthless totalitarian power
relentless
He was the most relentless enemy I have ever known.
unrelenting
in the face of severe opposition and unrelenting criticism
barbarous
It was a barbarous attack on a purely civilian train.
pitiless
He saw the pitiless eyes of his enemy.
4 (adjective)
Definition
unkind and showing no understanding
He said many harsh and unkind things.
Synonyms
hard
His father was a hard man.
sharp
‘Don't criticize your mother,’ was his sharp reprimand.
severe
The team has suffered severe criticism from influential figures.
bitter
The leaves taste rather bitter.
cruel
stern
He said stern measures would be taken against the criminals.
unpleasant
They tolerated what they felt was an unpleasant situation.
abusive
a cruel and abusive partner
unkind
He apologised for being unkind.
pitiless
unfeeling
an unfeeling bully who used his huge size to frighten people
Opposites
loving
,
kind
,
sweet
,
gentle
,
pleasant
,
mild
,
agreeable
,
merciful
5 (adjective)
harsh laws governing the behaviour of ordinary citizens
Synonyms
drastic
Drastic measures are needed.
hard
severe
This was a dreadful crime and a severe sentence is necessary.
stringent
punitive
The Green party wants punitive taxes on petrol.
austere
Draconian
draconian censorship laws
punitory
6 (adjective)
Definition
(of sounds) unpleasant and grating
He gave a loud, harsh laugh.
Synonyms
raucous
the raucous cries of the sea-birds
rough
‘Wait!’a rough voice commanded.
jarring
a jarring, nasal voice
grating
I can't stand that grating voice of his.
strident
She tried to laugh, and the sound was harsh and strident.