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harsh

/ˈhɑɹʃ/adjective1 syllable

Harsh means: of textures that are rough to the touch or substances consisting of relatively large particles.

Synonyms for harsh36

adjective, as in of textures that are rough to the touch or substances consisting of relatively large particles

coarse, coarse-grained, large-grained, farinaceous, grainy, granular, granulose, gritty, mealy, granulated, plushy, plush-like, loose, open, rough, unsmooth

adjective, as in unpleasantly stern

adjective, as in unkind or cruel or uncivil

rough, unkind

adjective, as in sharply disagreeable; rigorous

abrasive, disagreeable

adjective, as in unpleasantly rough or jarring to the senses

adjective, as in severe

also used for harsh

scabrous, asperous, gimped, irregular, jagged, jaggy, callous, severe, brutal, cold, cold-eyed, cruel, dour, flint-hearted, forbidding

Includes material from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

What does harsh mean?6

adjective

1

of textures that are rough to the touch or substances consisting of relatively large particles“coarse meal”

2

unpleasantly stern“wild and harsh country full of hot sand and cactus”

3

unkind or cruel or uncivil“had harsh words”

4

sharply disagreeable; rigorous“the harsh facts of court delays”

5

unpleasantly rough or jarring to the senses“the harsh cry of a blue jay”

6

severe“a harsh penalty”

Definitions from the Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

What rhymes with harsh?1

one syllable

Show 40 near rhymes

Harsh in a sentence

  • I stepped outside and was bathed in the harsh, direct sunlight.auxitt
  • Her words are blunt and harsh, and yet said with a sweet smile.pip
  • For him, it's a way of running away from the harsh reality.tieguy
  • I got a high score, but the advice was harsh.urro
  • If the climate is harsh and severe, the people are also harsh and severe.Hybrid
  • Although tide pool creatures can survive harsh conditions, human visitors can easily disturb them.Hybrid
  • The law is harsh, but it is the law.unknown
  • The prouder the individual, the harsher the punishment.pauldhunt

Sentences from Tatoeba, CC BY 2.0 FR, credited to their authors.

Forms of harsh

as a adjective

comparative
harsher
superlative
harshest