Word
harsh
Meanings
Unkindly severe or overly critical in the way someone speaks or judges.
Difficult or unpleasant because conditions are rough, extreme, or hard to live with.
Too strong and unpleasant to the senses, especially light, sound, or taste.
Definition
Harsh describes something unpleasantly severe, rough, or strict.
Harsh is used for things that feel severe, unfriendly, or difficult to endure. It can describe words, criticism, or rules that are too strict or unkind. It also commonly describes weather, light, sounds, or living conditions that are rough and uncomfortable.
Examples
- I thought his comments were harsh, even if he meant to be honest.
- You were harsh on yourself after a minor mistake, and it didn’t help you improve.
- She gave a harsh assessment of the proposal, pointing out gaps the team had missed.
- They struggled to keep morale up during the harsh winter on the remote island.
Common mistake
Learners often misuse harsh for “difficult” in neutral contexts; use tough or challenging when there is no sense of unpleasant severity.
More at C1 level
- ubiquitous Present, appearing, or found everywhere at the same time.
- xenophobia Xenophobia is a strong dislike or fear of people from other countries or cultures.
- genocide Genocide is the deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular group in order to …
- conundrum A conundrum is a confusing and difficult problem to solve.
- pretentious Trying to seem more important, intelligent, or cultured than you really are.
More adjectives
- agnostic An agnostic is someone who does not claim to know whether God exists.
- pragmatic Pragmatic means focused on practical results rather than ideals or theories.
- ubiquitous Present, appearing, or found everywhere at the same time.
- cynical Cynical describes believing that people are mainly motivated by self-interest and not sincere.
- apathetic Apathetic means showing little or no interest, concern, or enthusiasm.