adjective

harsh

Translation

severe, cruel, rough, unpleasant

The punishment for the crime was too harsh.

He had some harsh words for his team.

The harsh light hurt my eyes.

((harsh + noun)) severe or unpleasant The harsh reality is that we have no money.

((be + harsh on sb.)) to be severe or cruel towards someone Don't be too harsh on him.

Synonyms: severe, strict, rough, grating; Antonyms: gentle, mild, soft, pleasant

From Middle English 'harsk', meaning 'rough, coarse, sour', of Scandinavian origin.

A harsh winter is hard. The words 'harsh' and 'hard' both start with 'har'.