harsh

[hɑːʃ]

[hɑɹʃ]

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An unpleasant situation or treatment is harsh if it's severe, strict, and unforgiving.

Think of a teacher who gives very tough homework assignments and grades strictly. You might think that's harsh because you feel overwhelmed by the workload and worried about doing well on the assignments. Or imagine being criticized in front of your classmates – that could be a harsh experience too. In general, when we say something is harsh, we mean it's not kind or gentle.

How common is "harsh"?

Word harsh is considered uncommon in modern English.
It has a balanced usage among all categories: speech, fiction, newspapers and academic texts.

Definitions

verb

To negatively criticize.
Example: Quit harshing me already, I said that I was sorry!
To put a damper on (a mood).
Example: Dude, you're harshing my buzz.

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