Harsh Meaning
/ˈhɑːʃ/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
adjUnpleasantly rough to the touch or other senses.
adjSevere or cruel.
Sentence Examples
I stepped outside and was bathed in the harsh, direct sunlight.
The tundra has a harsh climate.
The punishment was harsh and unfair.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ winter caused many pipes to freeze and burst.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The desert climate is very ____, with extreme temperatures and very little available water.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English harsk, harisk(e), hask(e), herris. Century derived the term from Old Norse harskr (whence Danish harsk (“rancid”), dialectal Norwegian hersk, Swedish härsk, Swedish härsken); the Middle English Dictionary derives it from that and Middle Low German harsch (“rough”, literally “hairy”) (whence also German harsch), from haer (“hair”), from Old Saxon hār, from Proto-West Germanic *hār; the Oxford Dictionary of English derives it from Middle Low German alone.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Partly because of the heavy burden of government debt built up during his stewardship, and the uncurbed recklessness of the country’s banks, Britain’s recession is already the harshest in Western Europe."
— 2009 March 29, John F. Burns, “Anglo-American Capitalism on Trial”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 26 Sep 2015:
"There were harsher comments from Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman for Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas: "The negotiations are in a state of paralysis, and the result of Israel's intransigence and America's backpedalling is that there is no hope of negotiations on the horizon.""
— 2009 November 2, Ian Black, “Arab anger as Hillary Clinton backs Israel on settlements”, in The Guardian:
"Great news for City, but the result was harsh on Neil Warnock's side who gave as good as they got even though the odds were stacked against them."
— 2011 November 5, Phil Dawkes, “QPR 2 - 3 Man City”, in BBC Sport:
"Stop harshing on yourself. Who said you're the ugly sister?"
— 2008, An Na, The Fold:
"“Stop harshing on me, Daddy.” “Harshing?” “Don't yell at me. I didn't do anything.”"
— 2009, Richard Powers, Gain:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ winter caused many pipes to freeze and burst.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The desert climate is very ____, with extreme temperatures and very little available water.