adjective

1. unpleasantly sharp or rough; specif.,
   1. grating to the ear; discordant
   2. too bright or vivid to the eye; glaring
   3. too strong to the taste; bitter
   4. not smooth to the touch; coarse
2. unpleasantly crude, abrupt, or strained so as to be offensive to the mind or feelings the harsh realities of death
3. rough, crude, or forbidding in appearance beneath his harsh exterior
4. excessively severe; cruel or unfeeling a harsh punishment
5. oppressive, inhospitable, inclement, etc. a harsh climate

Etymology: ME harsk, akin to Ger harsch, rough, raw < IE base *kars, to scratch, comb > L carduus, thistle, carrere, to card (wool)