'Harsh' definitions:
Definition of 'harsh'
From: WordNet
adjective
Unpleasantly stern; "wild and harsh country full of hot sand and cactus"; "the nomad life is rough and hazardous" [syn: harsh, rough]
adjective
Disagreeable to the senses; "the harsh cry of a blue jay"; "harsh cognac"; "the harsh white light makes you screw up your eyes"; "harsh irritating smoke filled the hallway"
adjective
Of textures that are rough to the touch or substances consisting of relatively large particles; "coarse meal"; "coarse sand"; "a coarse weave" [syn: coarse, harsh] [ant: fine]
adjective
Unkind or cruel or uncivil; "had harsh words"; "a harsh and unlovable old tyrant"; "a rough answer" [syn: harsh, rough]
adjective
Severe; "a harsh penalty"
adjective
Sharply disagreeable; rigorous; "the harsh facts of court delays"; "an abrasive character" [syn: harsh, abrasive]
Definition of 'Harsh'
From: GCIDE
- Harsh \Harsh\ (h[aum]rsh), a. [Compar. Harsher (h[aum]rsh"[~e]r); superl. Harshest.] [OE. harsk; akin to G. harsch, Dan. harsk rancid, Sw. h[aum]rsk; from the same source as E. hard. See Hard, a.]
- 1. Rough; disagreeable; grating; esp.: (a) disagreeable to the touch. "Harsh sand." --Boyle. (b) disagreeable to the taste. "Berries harsh and crude." --Milton. (c) disagreeable to the ear. "Harsh din." --Milton. [1913 Webster]
- 2. Unpleasant and repulsive to the sensibilities; austere; crabbed; morose; abusive; abusive; severe; rough. [1913 Webster]
- Clarence is so harsh, so blunt. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
- Though harsh the precept, yet the preacher charmed. --Dryden. [1913 Webster]
- 3. (Painting, Drawing, etc.) Having violent contrasts of color, or of light and shade; lacking in harmony. [1913 Webster]
Synonyms of 'harsh'
From: Moby Thesaurus
- abrupt,
- absonant,
- abusive,
- acerb,
- acerbic,
- acid,
- acidulous,
- acrid,
- acrimonious,
- acute,
- afflictive,
- aggressive,
- agonizing,
- ajar,
- amaroidal,
- asperous,
- astringent,
- atonal,
- atrocious,
- austere,
- authoritarian,
- barbaric,
- barbarous,
- bearish,
- beastly,
- bilious,
- biting,
- bitter,
- bitter as gall,
- blaring,
- bleak,
- bluff,
- blunt,
- blurred,
- bowelless,
- brash,
- brassy,
- brazen,
- breathy,
- bristly,
- brusque,
- brutal,
- brutish,
- burdensome,
- burning,
- cacophonous,
- caustic,
- cavalier,
- choked,
- choking,
- choleric,
- churlish,
- clashing,
- clumsy,
- coarse,
- colliding,
- comfortless,
- conflicting,
- confused,
- corrugated,
- cracked,
- cragged,
- craggy,
- cramping,
- crinkled,
- croaking,
- croaky,
- cross,
- crude,
- cruel,
- crumpled,
- crusty,
- curt,
- cutting,
- demanding,
- diaphonic,
- disagreeable,
- discomforting,
- disconsonant,
- discordant,
- discourteous,
- disharmonic,
- disharmonious,
- dissonant,
- distressing,
- dog-eat-dog,
- doggerel,
- Doric,
- double-edged,
- dour,
- Draconian,
- drawling,
- drawly,
- dry,
- dysphemistic,
- dysphonic,
- ear-piercing,
- edged,
- escharotic,
- exacting,
- excruciating,
- exhausting,
- exigent,
- fierce,
- flat,
- flinty,
- gnawing,
- graceless,
- granular,
- grating,
- grave,
- gravelly,
- grim,
- grinding,
- griping,
- gross,
- grouchy,
- gruff,
- guttural,
- hairy,
- hard,
- harrowing,
- harsh-sounding,
- hawking,
- heartless,
- heavy,
- hoarse,
- hurtful,
- hurting,
- husky,
- immelodious,
- impolite,
- improper,
- impure,
- in bad taste,
- inarticulate,
- incisive,
- inclement,
- inconcinnate,
- inconcinnous,
- incongruous,
- incorrect,
- indecorous,
- indistinct,
- inelegant,
- inexorable,
- infelicitous,
- inharmonic,
- inharmonious,
- inhuman,
- intemperate,
- irascible,
- ironbound,
- irritating,
- jagged,
- jaggy,
- jangling,
- jangly,
- jarring,
- jostling,
- keen,
- lisping,
- loose,
- low,
- merciless,
- metallic,
- meticulous,
- mispronounced,
- mordacious,
- mordant,
- musicless,
- muzzy,
- nasal,
- nasty,
- nonmelodious,
- nose-tickling,
- off,
- off-color,
- off-key,
- off-tone,
- onerous,
- oppressive,
- out of pitch,
- out of tone,
- out of tune,
- outlandish,
- overburdensome,
- painful,
- paroxysmal,
- peevish,
- penetrating,
- petulant,
- piercing,
- piquant,
- pitiless,
- poignant,
- pungent,
- punishing,
- punitive,
- quavering,
- racking,
- ragged,
- rasping,
- raucid,
- raucous,
- relentless,
- remorseless,
- rigorous,
- rockbound,
- rocky,
- rough,
- roupy,
- rude,
- rugged,
- rugose,
- rugous,
- rusty,
- ruthless,
- sarcastic,
- saw-toothed,
- sawtooth,
- scabrous,
- scathing,
- scragged,
- scraggly,
- scraggy,
- scraping,
- scratchy,
- serrate,
- serrated,
- severe,
- shaggy,
- shaking,
- shaky,
- sharp,
- shooting,
- short,
- short-tempered,
- shrill,
- snagged,
- snaggled,
- snaggy,
- snippy,
- snuffling,
- sour,
- Spartan,
- Spartanic,
- spasmatic,
- spasmic,
- spasmodic,
- splenetic,
- squawking,
- squawky,
- squeaky,
- stabbing,
- stark,
- stern,
- stertorous,
- stifled,
- stinging,
- stony,
- strangled,
- strict,
- strident,
- stridulous,
- stringent,
- stubbly,
- sullen,
- surly,
- tangy,
- tart,
- tasteless,
- thick,
- throaty,
- tinny,
- tormenting,
- torturous,
- tough,
- tremulous,
- trenchant,
- truculent,
- tuneless,
- twangy,
- tyrannical,
- tyrannous,
- uncivil,
- uncompassionate,
- uncompassioned,
- uncourtly,
- uncouth,
- undignified,
- uneuphonious,
- uneven,
- unfeeling,
- unfelicitous,
- unforgiving,
- unfriendly,
- ungentle,
- ungraceful,
- unharmonious,
- unkind,
- unlevel,
- unmelodious,
- unmerciful,
- unmusical,
- unpitiful,
- unpitying,
- unpleasant,
- unpolished,
- unrefined,
- unremorseful,
- unseemly,
- unsmooth,
- unsparing,
- unsympathetic,
- unsympathizing,
- untunable,
- untuned,
- untuneful,
- unyielding,
- vehement,
- velar,
- violent,
- virulent,
- vitriolic,
- vulgar,
- warring,
- waspish,
- wearing,
- wearying,
- weighty,
- without mercy,
- wrinkled