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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

harsh en · ADJ

Pronunciation

  • /ˈhäːʃ/ (Australia)
  • [ˈhæʃ] (obsolete)
  • [ˈhäːʃ] ~ /ˈhɐ̞ːʃ/ (Australia)
  • (Australia) audio
  • /ˈhæʃ/ (obsolete)
  • /ˈhɑːʃ/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • /ˈhɑɹʃ/ (General-American)
  • [ˈhɑɹʃ] (General-American)
  • [ˈhɑːʃ] (Received-Pronunciation)
  • [ˈhɐ̞ːʃ] (Australia)

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, Swedish härsken); 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.

Meanings

  1. Unpleasantly rough to the touch or other senses.
  2. Severe or cruel.
    • harsh decision
    • harsh penalty
    • There were harsher comments from Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman for Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas: "The negotiations are in a state of paralysis, and the result of Israel's intransigence and America's backpedalling is that there is no hope of negotiations on the horizon." 2009 November 2, Ian Black, “Arab anger as Hillary Clinton backs Israel on settlements”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 09 Nov 2020:
    • harsh ruling
    • Partly because of the heavy burden of government debt built up during his stewardship, and the uncurbed recklessness of the country’s banks, Britain’s recession is already the harshest in Western Europe. 2009 March 29, John F. Burns, “Anglo-American Capitalism on Trial”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 26 Sep 2015:
    • Great news for City, but the result was harsh on Neil Warnock's side who gave as good as they got even though the odds were stacked against them. 2011 November 5, Phil Dawkes, “QPR 2 - 3 Man City”, in BBC Sport, archived from the original on 18 Mar 2017:
    • harsh rule
    • harsh teacher

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
more harsh Degree=Cmp lexicographic
harshest Degree=Sup lexicographic
harsher Degree=Cmp lexicographic
most harsh Degree=Sup lexicographic

Antonyms

genteel · easy

Deriveds

overharsh · harshen · harshness · harsh Indian paintbrush · harsh mistress · harshly · harsh noise · harshish · unharsh

Synonyms

shagged · insensitive · scabrous · gimped · stony · iron-hearted · brutal · hard-boiled · marble-hearted · severe · jaggy · strict · forbidding · unsmooth · cold · harsh · stern · callous · icy · asperous · humorless · hard · scabrous · rockhearted · uneven · scraggy · abrasive · unsympathetic · squarrose · stonehearted · coarse · rugose · rigorous · jagged · frosty · thick-skinned · rough · hardhearted · salebrous · harsh · severe · cold-eyed · dour · coarse · flint-hearted · cruel · tough · grim · hardhanded · stonyhearted · rugged · hardened · callous · heartless · unmoved · irregular · insensate

Translations (138)

rup ascuru (rough) · fi karkea (rough) · la asper (rough) · tr gaddar (severe or cruel) · gl áspero (severe or cruel) · pdt ruch (rough) · fi julma (severe or cruel) · ru шершавый (rough) · it aspro (rough) · uk суво́рий (rough) · ota آجی (severe or cruel) · la raucus (rough) · ru шерохова́тый (rough) · fi ankara (severe or cruel) · fr cruel (severe or cruel) · de streng (severe or cruel) · ru зазубренный (rough) · oc rude (rough) · la inclēmēns (severe or cruel) · izh kova (rough) · mi kakawa (rough) · ca aspre (rough) · sa दारुण (severe or cruel) · izh valjo (severe or cruel) · de herb (severe or cruel) · mi whakawiri (severe or cruel) · ro aspru (severe or cruel) · mi kakawa (severe or cruel) · de rau (rough) · ko 냉혹하다 (severe or cruel) · gl severo (severe or cruel) · da grov (rough) · uk гру́бий (rough) · ru твёрдый (rough) · it grossolano (rough) · it rigoroso (severe or cruel) · fr sévère (severe or cruel) · de grell (severe or cruel) · mi taimaha (severe or cruel) · ast severu (severe or cruel) · ru гру́бый (rough) · fi tyly (severe or cruel) · su loma (rough) · sv sträv (rough) · it gibboso (rough) · nl zwaar (severe or cruel) · de harsch (severe or cruel) · da grov (severe or cruel) · pt áspero (rough) · it severo (severe or cruel) · ru ре́зкий (severe or cruel) · tr zorlu (severe or cruel) · oc aspre (rough) · oc sevèr (severe or cruel) · ca sever (severe or cruel) · hi क्रूर (severe or cruel) · nl wreed (severe or cruel) · ga garg (rough) · fi kova (severe or cruel) · pl szorstki (severe or cruel) · sw mkali (severe or cruel) · gl esgrevio (rough) · pt grosso (severe or cruel) · mi tuanui (severe or cruel) · la immītis (rough) · izh valju (rough) · ang āfor (rough) · mi toimaha (severe or cruel) · fa زمخت (rough) · it rude (rough) · cs hrubý (rough) · it ruvido (rough) · ko 거칠다 (rough) · pl szorstki (rough) · ro aspru (rough) · bg остър (rough) · ru стро́гий (severe or cruel) · izh raju (rough) · cmn 嚴格 /严格 (severe or cruel) · bg рязък (severe or cruel) · ja 粗悪 (rough) · bg груб (rough) · gl cru (severe or cruel) · es desalmado (severe or cruel) · lv rupjš (rough) · lv raupjš (rough) · sq rrept (rough) · tr sert (rough) · de rau (severe or cruel) · ru неприя́тный (rough) · da ru (rough) · it duro (severe or cruel) · pt cruel (severe or cruel) · ru гру́бый (severe or cruel) · tr haşin (severe or cruel) · mi taumaha (severe or cruel) · pt grosseiro (severe or cruel) · izh valju (severe or cruel) · de unwirsch (severe or cruel) · id kasar (rough) · el τραχύς (rough) · it rigido (severe or cruel) · ca severa (severe or cruel) · uk різки́й (rough) · ru жёсткий (rough) · fr sévère (rough) · it accidentato (rough) · gl áspero (rough) · bg суров (severe or cruel) · sw mkali (rough) · nl ruw (rough) · hy դաժան (severe or cruel) · uk жорстки́й (severe or cruel) · it crudele (severe or cruel) · pt severo (severe or cruel) · de hart (severe or cruel) · ang āfor (severe or cruel) · ro sever (severe or cruel) · fr rude (rough) · izh valjo (rough) · la acerbus (severe or cruel) · gl fero (severe or cruel) · grc ἀμείλικτος (severe or cruel) · ru суро́вый (severe or cruel) · mi tīkākā (rough) · pt duro (severe or cruel) · fi kova (rough) · vo sevärik (severe or cruel) · fi raaka (severe or cruel) · nl grof (rough) · de schrill (severe or cruel) · it discordante (rough) · cmn 粗暴 (rough) · el σκληρός (severe or cruel) · grc χαλεπός (severe or cruel) · de scharf (severe or cruel) · pl bezwzględny (severe or cruel) · de harsch (rough)

harsh en · VERB

Pronunciation

  • /ˈhäːʃ/ (Australia)
  • [ˈhæʃ] (obsolete)
  • [ˈhäːʃ] ~ /ˈhɐ̞ːʃ/ (Australia)
  • (Australia) audio
  • /ˈhæʃ/ (obsolete)
  • /ˈhɑːʃ/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • /ˈhɑɹʃ/ (General-American)
  • [ˈhɑɹʃ] (General-American)
  • [ˈhɑːʃ] (Received-Pronunciation)
  • [ˈhɐ̞ːʃ] (Australia)

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, Swedish härsken); 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.

Meanings

  1. (ambitransitive, slang) To negatively criticize.
    • “Stop harshing on me, Daddy.” “Harshing?” “Don't yell at me. I didn't do anything.” 2009, Richard Powers, Gain:
    • Stop harshing on yourself. Who said you're the ugly sister? 2008, An Na, The Fold:
    • Quit harshing me already, I said that I was sorry!
  2. (ambitransitive, slang) To put a damper on (a mood).
    • He's totally harshing my vibe," Lila said airily. "Someone should tell him to get over himself. He's lucky I even invited him!" 2008, Kate William with Francine Pascal, Secrets - Page 70:
    • Dude, you're harshing my buzz.
    • They're always harshing on the plan, but we're still going through with it.
    • "They're mostly mercenaries these days. But whose?" "Serbian mercenaries? You're harshing my groove, man. I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that...." 2003, Robert Ludlum, The Janson Directive, page 355:
    • "Getting back to the issue of the child," Tina said, harshing our buzz as usual, "I really think you should reconsider...." 2006, MaryJanice Davidson, Undead and Unpopular, page 776:
    • On their third date, Lizzie had actually said to him, "You're sort of harshing my mellow." It made him wonder if she might be stupid, and not just young. 1999, Kurt Andersen, Turn of the century, page 508:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
harshes Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
harshed Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
harshed Tense=Past lexicographic
harshing Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic

Deriveds

harsh one's mellow · harsh down

Synonyms

rough

Translations (8)

sw mkali (put a damper on someone's mood) · ru песочить (negatively criticize) · es despotricar (negatively criticize) · sw mkali (negatively criticize) · oc piuçar (negatively criticize) · ca criticar (negatively criticize) · oc pessugar (negatively criticize) · oc criticar (negatively criticize)