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
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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
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Recent Examples of harshness
The bass doesn’t overpower vocals, and the treble avoids harshness.
—
Prakhar Khanna, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025
Prakhar Khanna, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harshness
Noun
-
The white negroni gets its pleasant bitterness from gin infused with pine nuts.—
Rachel Bernhard,
jsonline.com,
29 Aug. 2025
-
The water cleanses the palate, while the lokum balances the drink’s bitterness.—
Ali Halit Diker,
CNN Money,
26 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Quick hits Tigers reliever Kyle Finnegan suffered right groin tightness while warming up during Wednesday's game, and the severity of the injury is unclear.—
Christian Romo,
Freep.com,
4 Sep. 2025
-
While the time can vary based on many circumstances such as the type, severity, and location of the bruise, many bruises last for about two weeks.—
Marisa Garshick,
Verywell Health,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
And while winners may be tempted to choose the annuity for an initial lower tax bite and to get more Powerball money, inflation and unforeseeable tax changes over 29 years could eat away at its value.—
George Petras,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
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Get the recipe > This rustic soup from Chiapas, Mexico, features the grassy flavor of fresh chipilín leaves in a rich corn broth, with tender masa dumplings stuffed with creamy queso fresco for a satisfying bite.—
SAVEUR Editors,
Saveur,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
On the southwestern side of the fire, hand crews and dozers began building new containment lines along Sycamore Ridge Road to prevent the westward spread of the fire from the Dinkey Creek drainage and cut the fire off close to its active edge.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
6 Sep. 2025
-
The base stores up to three tools, including a corner cleaner and an edge sweeper.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
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With Boise State leading 7-3 and having just forced a 4th-and-long deep in South Florida territory, Banks threw down USF quarterback Byrum Brown, resulting in an unnecessary roughness penalty and a new set of downs that eventually led to a Bulls touchdown.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
1 Sep. 2025
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Despite the bang-bang nature of the play, To’oTo’o was called for unnecessary roughness.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Harshness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harshness. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.
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