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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective harsh contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of harsh are rough, rugged, scabrous, and uneven. While all these words mean "not smooth or even," harsh implies a surface or texture distinctly unpleasant to the touch.

a harsh fabric that chafes the skin

When might rough be a better fit than harsh?

Although the words rough and harsh have much in common, rough implies points, bristles, ridges, or projections on the surface.

a rough wooden board

When could rugged be used to replace harsh?

While in some cases nearly identical to harsh, rugged implies irregularity or roughness of land surface and connotes difficulty of travel.

a rugged landscape

When is scabrous a more appropriate choice than harsh?

The words scabrous and harsh are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, scabrous implies scaliness or prickliness of surface.

a scabrous leaf

Where would uneven be a reasonable alternative to harsh?

In some situations, the words uneven and harsh are roughly equivalent. However, uneven implies a lack of uniformity in height, breadth, or quality.

an old house with uneven floors

Examples of harsh in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In 2021, Ketchup giant Heinz also partnered with astrobiologists to study how to improve ketchup quality in harsh environmental conditions like what is found on the Red Planet. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 24 Oct. 2024 Share [Findings] Psychopaths recommend harsher punishments for homicides, whether accidental or motivated by profit, but exhibit relatively low concern about killing in general. Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 23 Oct. 2024 The judge acknowledged the defendants’ difficult childhoods but said neither those harsh upbringings, nor their relatively young ages at the time of the killings, nor the various family rivalries and accusations justified their actions. Alex Riggins, The Mercury News, 23 Oct. 2024 Earlier this summer the Biden Administration issued an executive order largely barring migrants from seeking asylum at the US southern border and levying harsh consequences on those illegally crossing. Kunal Sehgal, CNN, 22 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for harsh 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'harsh.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Thesaurus Entries Near harsh

Cite this Entry

“Harsh.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harsh. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on harsh

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