harsh

1 difficult to endure harsh conditions in the refugee camp Synonyms of harsh bitter, brutal, burdensome, cruel, excruciating, grievous, grim, hard, hardhanded, heavy, inhuman, murderous, onerous, oppressive, rough, rugged, searing, severe, stiff, tough, trying Words Related to harsh austere, bleak, comfortless, discomforting, forbidding, inhospitable, spartan, uncomfortable; biting, inclement, intemperate, wild; rigorous, strict, stringent; agonizing, heartbreaking, heartrending, painful, wretched; crushing, grinding, overwhelming, wearing; insufferable, insupportable, intolerable, unbearable, unendurable; harrowing, tortuous; bad, disagreeable, hostile, unfriendly, unpleasant Near Antonyms of harsh comfortable, cozy, luxurious, snug; agreeable, friendly, genial, hospitable, pleasant; peaceful, relaxing, reposeful, restful; bearable, endurable, painless, tolerable; balmy, calm, clement, gentle, mild, moderate, temperate Antonyms of harsh easy, light, soft

2 disagreeable to one's aesthetic or artistic sense the harsh lighting in the cafeteria makes the food look slightly off-color Synonyms of harsh grating, grotesque, jarring, unaesthetic Words Related to harsh acid, flashy, garish, gaudy, loud, tawdry; tacky, tasteless, vulgar; inartistic, unartistic; artless, clumsy, crude, graceless, inelegant, rude; uncouth, uncultured, unrefined; disgusting, gross, obscene, repugnant, repulsive, ugly; disagreeable, jolting, unpleasant, unpleasing; blaring, clashing, discordant, disharmonious, dissonant, inharmonious, jangling, off-key, ragged, raspy, raucous, unmelodious, unmusical; bizarre, kinky, odd, outlandish, shocking Near Antonyms of harsh artful, artistic; attractive, beautiful, becoming, comely; agreeable, appealing, felicitous, good, harmonious, harmonizing, pleasing, seemly; calming, comforting, soothing; softened, subdued; cultured, elegant, graceful, gracious, polished, refined, tasteful Antonyms of harsh aesthetic (also esthetic or aesthetical or esthetical)

3 causing discomfort the harsh northern climate Synonyms of harsh comfortless, discomforting, uncomfortableWords Related to harsh aching, hurting, miserable, nasty, painful, sore; agonizing, excruciating, torturous; distressing, disturbing, upsetting; awkward, cumbersome, inconvenient, ungainly; uneasy; chafing, cramping, itching, pinching, pricking, prickling, smarting, stingingNear Antonyms of harsh easy, soothing; cozy, cushy, snug, soft; easeful, relaxing, reposeful, restfulAntonyms of harsh comfortable, comfy

4 given to exacting standards of discipline and self-restraint a harsh judge when it comes to drug users and especially drug dealers Synonyms of harsh austere, authoritarian, flinty, hard, severe, heavy-handed, ramrod, rigid, rigorous, stern, strict, toughWords Related to harsh demanding, exacting; uncharitable, unforgiving; adamant, adamantine, callous, hardened, hard-hearted, hard-line, immovable, implacable, inflexible, merciless, ossified, pitiless, relentless, rock-ribbed, stiff, unbending, uncompromising, unrelenting, unsparing, unyielding; dour, gruff; ascetic (also ascetical), monastic, monkish; browbeating, bullying; determined, firm, resolved, single-minded, steadfast, unflinching; dogged, intractable, obstinate, relentlessNear Antonyms of harsh easy, easygoing, laid-back, undemanding; charitable, kind, merciful, mild, patient, soft, softhearted; accepting, compromising, yielding; responsive, willing; acquiescent, agreeable, amenable, complaisant, compliant, flexible, pliable, pliantAntonyms of harsh clement, forbearing, gentle, indulgent, lax, lenient, tolerant

5 hard to accept or bear especially emotionally the harsh reality of failure harsh words of criticism from her music teacher Synonyms of harsh afflicting, agonizing, cruel, excruciating, galling, grievous, harrowing, bitter, heartrending, hurtful, painful, tormenting, torturousWords Related to harsh insufferable, insupportable, intolerable, unacceptable, unbearable, unendurable, unsupportable; appalling, awful, bad, dire, dreadful, ghastly, horrible, miserable, nasty, rotten, severe, terrible, vile, wretched; acute, extreme, intense, piercingNear Antonyms of harsh bearable, endurable, supportable, sustainable, tolerable; livable (also liveable), sufferable, survivable; acceptable, allowable, reasonableAntonyms of harsh gratifying, pleasing, sweet

6 not giving pleasure to the mind or senses winced at the harsh sound that the beginner violinist was making Synonyms of harsh bad, bitter, disagreeable, displeasing, distasteful, unpleasant, icky, nasty, rotten, sour, uncongenial, unlovely, unpalatable, unpleasing, unsavory, unwelcome, wicked, yucky (also yukky)Words Related to harsh abhorrent, abominable, appalling, awful, beastly, bilious, disgusting, dreadful, foul, ghastly, gnarly [slang], god-awful, gross, hateful, hellish, hideous, horrendous, horrible, horrid, invidious, loathsome, nauseating, nauseous, noisome, obnoxious, obscene, odious, offensive, repellent (also repellant), repugnant, repulsive, revolting, revulsive, scandalous, seamy, shocking, sick, sickening, ugly, unholy, vile, villainous; aggravating, annoying, galling, irritating, vexing; crappy [slang], cruddy, crummy (also crumby), lousy, miserable, sucky [slang], wretchedNear Antonyms of harsh delectable, delicious, delightful, dreamy, felicitous; amiable, charming, cheery, friendly, jolly, kindly, sweetAntonyms of harsh agreeable, congenial, good, grateful, gratifying, nice, palatable, pleasant, pleasing, pleasurable, satisfying, welcome