harsh

1 of 2

adjective

ˈhärsh How to pronounce harsh (audio)
Synonyms 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
harshly adverb
harshness noun

harshness

2 of 2

noun

harsh·​ness
plural -es
: the quality or state of being harsh

Synonyms of harsh

Relevance

Adjective

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus
Choose the Right Synonym for 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

Examples of harsh in a Sentence

Adjective 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 her 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 on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
By dinner, the soju and whiskey flowing, things have taken a harsher turn. — Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026 Swamped by allegations of fraud, the actions of the company and its enigmatic CEO, Elizabeth Holmes, shone a harsh light on problems with scientific start-ups. — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 16 Oct. 2026 Moss isn’t the only Jewish Democrat who remains skeptical of El-Sayed’s harsh criticism of Israel and, as a result, hasn’t backed him. — Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 16 Oct. 2026 The shop also pushed back against Clarkson’s version of events, saying all patrons are welcome, then lamented that the singer’s harsh statement had caused unwanted attention. — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 16 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for harsh

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

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

Noun

alteration of earlier harsknes, from Middle English, from harsk harsh + -nes -ness

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of harsh was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Harsanyi
harsh
harshen
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Harsh.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/harsh. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

harsh

adjective
ˈhärsh How to pronounce harsh (audio)
1
: disagreeable to the touch
2
: causing discomfort or pain
3
: making many or difficult demands : severe
harsh discipline
4
: not pleasant to the artistic sense
harsh colors
harshly adverb
harshness noun
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