harsh

Preposition: of

• condition: Often, larger cities ' markets are covered to ensure shopping in even the harshest of conditions.

Modifying Another Word

• unduly: Bradley is also unduly harsh on the usefulness of a chair absorption measurement method involving screens.
• tad: I think a 20metre max is a tad harsh, if all is well there should be no depth limits at all.
• unnecessarily: Also, he would frequently reverse the camp commandant's decisions if he thought that they were unnecessarily harsh.
• overly: Was the fine overly harsh for such a young business?
• excessively: The review rightly identifies indefinite suspension as an excessively harsh penalty for a doctor who is sick.
• unusually: It is unusually harsh criticism, especially coming from a close ally.

Adjective complement with noun phrase

• seem: It all seems a bit harsh for just some eating arrangements.
• sound: Trekking up from London to Glasgow to visit the original home of Rangers FC when you hate football sounds a bit harsh.

Modifies a noun

• reality: The evidence should open people's eyes to the harsh reality of poverty in Britain today.
• punishment: There were certainly harsh punishments for such an act.
• critic: Do you have a voice that could melt the heart of the harshest opera critic?
• criticism: The Germans come up for some harsh criticism here.
• detergent: If you need to use soap make sure it is very mild and does not contain any harsh detergents.
• winter: The wooden garages are boat houses, to protect the boats from the harsh winters.

Used with adjective complement

• seem: I received a mark which in my opinion seemed quite harsh.
• sound: I'm sorry if that sounds harsh, but, actually, it's a real bug bear of mine.
• appear: Should this appear harsh, then the tenant would have a good claim against his solicitor.
• avoid: Make all maneuvers slower than normal and avoid harsh, violent movements.
• become: Instead, life becomes increasingly harsher for the ordinary person.