1
as in bitterness
a harsh or sharp quality
there was a harshness about her voice that made her an unlikely but surprisingly evocative singer of torch songs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in severity
the quality or state of being demanding or unyielding (as in discipline or criticism)
was surprised at the harshness of the choirmaster's criticism, since he was usually pretty easygoing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harshness
Noun
-
But for the most part, people don’t get the severity.—
Miranda Mullings and Rachel Chang,
Travel + Leisure,
3 May 2025 -
The student's friends took her to a nearby apartment to rest after the fall, not realizing the severity of her injuries.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
People.com,
3 May 2025
Noun
-
Viewers could be fooled into believing that a bite of tomato was the best thing Miller's ever tasted in her life given her reaction alone.—
Skyler Caruso,
People.com,
2 May 2025
-
Soon thereafter, starving, Cage yanks the dead rat from the ground and holds it to his teeth, about to take a bite.—
Rachel Handler,
Vulture,
2 May 2025
Noun
-
But Nungesser argues a better option is to strengthen the Mississippi River's flow by filling crevasses along the river's edge that have widened over the years.—
Kati Weis,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2025
-
Beane took three cornerbacks, two defensive tackles and edge rusher Landon Jackson.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Harshness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harshness. Accessed 13 May. 2025.
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