What is the meaning of harsh?

adjective

  • Unpleasantly stern.
    • usage: "wild and harsh country full of hot sand and cactus"; "the nomad life is rough and hazardous"
  • Disagreeable to the senses.
    • usage: "the harsh cry of a blue jay"; "harsh cognac"; "the harsh white light makes you screw up your eyes"; "harsh irritating smoke filled the hallway"
  • Of textures that are rough to the touch or substances consisting of relatively large particles.
    • usage: "coarse meal"; "coarse sand"; "a coarse weave"
  • Unkind or cruel or uncivil.
    • usage: "had harsh words"; "a harsh and unlovable old tyrant"; "a rough answer"
  • Severe.
    • usage: "a harsh penalty"
  • Sharply disagreeable; rigorous.
    • usage: "the harsh facts of court delays"; "an abrasive character"
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APAWordNet. (2010). Harsh. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/harsh/definitions/1175373
ChicagoWordNet. 2010. "Harsh" http://smartdefine.org/harsh/definitions/1175373 (accessed September 20, 2026).
HarvardWordNet 2010, Harsh, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/harsh/definitions/1175373>.
MLAWordNet. "Harsh" 23 October 2010. Web. 20 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/harsh/definitions/1175373>
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