Harsh

Podcast 1 · Introduction

Harsh

A documentary-style narration: origin, meaning, and feel.

Part of speech

adjective

Pronunciation

harsh  /hɑːʃ/

Definition

Unpleasantly rough or jarring to the senses; cruel or severe in manner, treatment, or conditions; disagreeably or unnecessarily severe.

Plain meaning

Harsh means unpleasantly rough, severe, or cruel. A harsh sound is grating and unpleasant. Harsh treatment is cruel or unnecessarily severe. Harsh conditions are difficult and unforgiving. Harsh criticism is more cutting than it needs to be.

Register

Neutral and widely used. Harsh is used across formal and informal contexts. It describes a quality of severity that is both objective (harsh climate) and evaluative (harsh treatment). It is a more cutting word than severe or strict, implying something excessive or unkind about the severity.