harsh

adjective \ ˈhärsh \

|Updated on: 13 Jul 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: harsh in a Sentence

Definition of harsh

1 : having a coarse uneven surface that is rough or unpleasant to the touch

granite stones harsh with lichen
—Nancy Hale

2 a : causing a disagreeable or painful sensory reaction : irritating

harsh colors

harsh lighting

her harsh high-pitched voice

The horseradish was too harsh for the children.

: overly intense or powerful

harsh chemicals

b : physically discomforting

The climate there is very harsh.

a harsh winter

: unpleasant and difficult to accept or experience

the harsh realities of poverty

a harsh reminder of the importance of wearing a seat belt

3 : excessively critical or negative

had some harsh words for her opponent

a harsh critic

: unduly severe in making demands

harsh discipline

4 : lacking in aesthetic appeal or refinement : crude

a harsh and sometimes unpleasant book, barren of pretty touches
—Brendan Gill

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harshly

adverb

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harshness

noun

See harsh defined for English-language learners

See harsh defined for kids

Examples of harsh in a Sentence

The climate there is very harsh.
We've had an extremely harsh winter.
It's time for her to face the harsh realities of this situation.
The accident serves as a harsh reminder of the importance of wearing a seat belt.
The lighting in the room was very harsh.
The state has established harsh penalties for drug dealers.
She has been criticized for her harsh treatment of his students.
He was sentenced to a harsh prison term.
He had harsh words for his opponent.
She has faced some extremely harsh criticism.

Recent Examples of harsh from the Web

Trump doesn’t want to face the reality that his harsh rhetoric and volatile trade policies have heightened uncertainty in global markets, and that can have an upward impact on oil prices.

— jake meth, Fortune, "Trump Wants to Blame OPEC for High Oil Prices. But He’s Much More at Fault," 29 June 2018
Buried within this harsh reality, however, are seeds of hope for bitcoin believers.

— maya kosoff, The Hive, "Has Bitcoin Entered the Doom Loop?," 29 June 2018
The approach of the first midterm vote since Mr. Trump’s victory has produced harsh rhetoric, an array of demonstrations and protests, and political turmoil in both parties.

— joshua jamerson, WSJ, "Justice Anthony Kennedy’s Exit Sets the Stage for a Fierce Battle Over His Successor," 28 June 2018
That led to harsh criticism that Salah was being used by Kadyrov — who is accused of repression and persecution — for political gain in the mostly Muslim region in southern Russia.

— ann killion, SFChronicle.com, "Shut up and dribble? Not in basketball. Certainly not in soccer," 25 June 2018
How did the flamboyant teen escape from the harsh realities of his deeply religious Jim Crow South neighborhood?

— elizabeth wellington, Philly.com, "Black fashion superhero André Leon Talley finally gets his due in new documentary," 6 June 2018
The season concludes at the midpoint, without much resolved except that everyone in the main cast has been forced to grow up a bit by their brush with harsh realities.

— alissa wilkinson, Vox, "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt deftly takes on #MeToo and terrible men in season 4," 30 May 2018
Sure, there have been some attempts to delineate best practices, and certain approaches to storytelling, such as those that seem to normalize neo-Naziism, have come under harsh criticism.

— miranda katz, WIRED, "How the Media Helped Legitimize Extremism," 25 May 2018
The separatist project foundered last autumn when confronted with harsh reality.

— The Economist, "Catalonia’s new president is a secessionist, like the previous one," 17 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'harsh.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of harsh

Middle English harsk, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Norwegian harsk harsh

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

harsh Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of harsh

rough, harsh, uneven, rugged, scabrous mean not smooth or even. rough implies points, bristles, ridges, or projections on the surface.

- a rough wooden board

harsh implies a surface or texture distinctly unpleasant to the touch.

- a harsh fabric that chafes the skin

uneven implies a lack of uniformity in height, breadth, or quality.

- an old house with uneven floors

rugged implies irregularity or roughness of land surface and connotes difficulty of travel.

- a rugged landscape

scabrous implies scaliness or prickliness of surface.

- a scabrous leaf

HARSH Defined for English Language Learners

harsh

adjective

Definition of harsh for English Language Learners

: unpleasant and difficult to accept or experience
: having an unpleasant or harmful effect because of great strength or force : too intense or powerful
: severe or cruel : not kind