harsh (hɑːʃ
)
Definitions
adjective
- rough or grating to the senses
- stern, severe, or cruel
verb
- (tr) slang to cause (a state of elation) to be diminished or ended (esp in the phrases harsh someone's mellow and harsh someone's buzz)
Alternative Forms
ˈharshly adverb ˈharshness nounWord Origin
C16: probably of Scandinavian origin; compare Middle Low German harsch, Norwegian harsk rancidSynonyms
View thesaurus entry=
severe,
hard,
tough,
grim,
stark,
stringent,
austere,
Spartan,
inhospitable,
comfortless,
bare-bones,
Translations
- British English:
harsh
Harsh climates or living conditions are very difficult for people, animals, and plants to exist in.The weather grew harsh and chilly.hɑːʃ ADJECTIVE The weather grew harsh and chilly.
- Spanish:
crudo
adj cruda
- French:
rude
adj
- German:
hart
adj
- Chinese: 苛刻的 adj
- Arabic: خَشِن adj
- Portuguese: rigoroso adj rigorosa
- Russian: грубый adj грубая
- Croatian: neugodan adj neugodna
- Czech: ukrutný adj
- Danish: barsk adj
- Dutch: hardvochtig adj
- Finnish: ankara adj
- Greek: δριμύς adj δριμεία
- Italian: duro adj dura
- Japanese: 厳しい adj
- Korean: 거친 adj
- Norwegian: barsk adj
- Polish: surowy adj surowa
- Brazilian Portuguese: rigoroso adj rigorosa
- European Spanish:
crudo
adj cruda
- Swedish: hård adj hårt
- Thai: หยาบ adj
- Turkish: şiddetli adj
- Vietnamese: khắc nghiệt adj
Usage examples
The harsh lighting bleached his skin tones to wood ash, turning him monochrome.
, THE LAST TEMPTATION (2002)Military helicopters have been unable to deliver supplies and rescue stranded villages because of the harsh weather.
New Scientist (2004)The Department acknowledges that conditions in Thai prisons are harsh by Western standards.
Irish Times (2002)Available in a range of colours, the resulting harsh edge can be blended for a natural finish.
Glasgow Herald (2001)Dexter did not take a bow and most of the critics were harsh.
, A TALE OF FOUR HOUSES: Opera at Covent Garden, La Scala, Vienna and the Met since 1945 (2003)