Definition of HARSH

harsh

Meanings

Adjective Satellite

  • unpleasantly stern
    • "wild and harsh country full of hot sand and cactus"
  • disagreeable to the senses
    • "the harsh cry of a blue jay"
    • "harsh cognac"
    • "the harsh white light makes you screw up your eyes"
    • "harsh irritating smoke filled the hallway"
  • unkind or cruel or uncivil
    • "had harsh words"
    • "a harsh and unlovable old tyrant"
  • severe
    • "a harsh penalty"
  • sharply disagreeable; rigorous
    • "the harsh facts of court delays"

Adjective

  • of textures that are rough to the touch or substances consisting of relatively large particles

Adj

  • Unpleasantly rough to the touch or other senses.
  • Severe or cruel.

Verb

  • To negatively criticize.
  • To put a damper on (a mood).

Origin / Etymology

From Middle English harsk, harisk(e), hask(e), herris. Century derived the term from Old Norse harskr (whence Danish harsk (“rancid”), dialectal Norwegian hersk, Swedish härsk); the Middle English Dictionary derives it from that and Middle Low German harsch (“rough”, literally “hairy”) (whence also German harsch), from haer (“hair”), from Old Saxon hār, from Proto-West Germanic *hār; the Oxford Dictionary of English derives it from Middle Low German alone.

Antonyms

fine, genteel

Scrabble Score: 11

harsh is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
harsh is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
harsh is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 9

harsh is a valid Words With Friends word