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Harshness: meaning, definitions and examples

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harshness

 

[ ˈhɑːʃnəs ]

Noun
Context #1 | Noun

in behavior

The quality of being unpleasantly rough or severe; cruelty or unkindness.

Synonyms

cruelty, severity, unkindness

Examples of usage

  • The harshness of his words left her feeling hurt.
  • She couldn't bear the harshness of his treatment towards her.
Context #2 | Noun

in sound

The quality of being unpleasantly rough or grating to the ears.

Synonyms

discordance, grating, roughness

Examples of usage

  • The harshness of the music made her cover her ears.
  • I couldn't stand the harshness of the sound coming from the speakers.

Translations

Translations of the word "harshness" in other languages:

🇵🇹 dureza

🇮🇳 कठोरता

🇩🇪 Härte

🇮🇩 kekerasan

🇺🇦 жорсткість

🇵🇱 surowość

🇯🇵 厳しさ (きびしさ)

🇫🇷 dureté

🇪🇸 dureza

🇹🇷 sertlik

🇰🇷 엄격함

🇸🇦 قسوة

🇨🇿 tvrdost

🇸🇰 tvrdosť

🇨🇳 严酷 (yánkù)

🇸🇮 trdota

🇮🇸 hörku

🇰🇿 қаталдық

🇬🇪 სიმკაცრე

🇦🇿 sərtlik

🇲🇽 dureza

Etymology

The word 'harshness' originated from the Middle English word 'harsch' which meant rough or severe. It has been used since the 14th century to describe the quality of being unpleasantly rough or severe in behavior or sound.

See also: harsher, harshly.

Word Frequency Rank

With rank #18,015, this word belongs to specialized vocabulary. While not common in everyday speech, it enriches your ability to express complex ideas.