Harsh Definition

härsh
harsher, harshest
adjective
harsher, harshest
Disagreeable to one of the senses, as:
American Heritage
Unpleasantly sharp or rough.
Webster's New World
Unpleasant, uncomfortable, or hostile to survival.
A harsh wilderness; a harsh winter.
American Heritage
Rough, crude, or forbidding in appearance.
Beneath his harsh exterior.
Webster's New World
So unpleasantly crude, abrupt, or strained as to be offensive to the mind or feelings.
The harsh realities of war.
Webster's New World
verb

(intransitive, slang) To negatively criticize.

Quit harshing me already, I said that I was sorry!
Wiktionary
(slang) To put a damper on (a mood).
Dude, you're harshing my buzz.
Wiktionary

Other Word Forms of Harsh

Adjective

Base Form:
harsh
Comparative:
harsher
Superlative:
harshest

Origin of Harsh

  • From Middle English, from Middle Low German harsch (“rough”), literally "hairy," from haer (“hair”). Cognate with German harsch.

    From Wiktionary

  • Middle English harsk of Scandinavian origin

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

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