harsh

== English == === 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. === Pronunciation === (General American) IPA(key): /hɑɹʃ/ (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /hɑːʃ/ (obsolete) IPA(key): /hæʃ/ Rhymes: -ɑː(ɹ)ʃ === Adjective === harsh (comparative harsher or more harsh, superlative harshest or most harsh) Unpleasantly rough to the touch or other senses. Synonyms: coarse, scabrous; see also Thesaurus:rough Severe or cruel. Synonyms: callous, severe; see also Thesaurus:stern Antonyms: easy, genteel ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === Verb === harsh (third-person singular simple present harshes, present participle harshing, simple past and past participle harshed) (ambitransitive, slang) To negatively criticize. (ambitransitive, slang) To put a damper on (a mood). ==== Synonyms ==== rough ==== Derived terms ==== harsh down harsh one's mellow ==== Translations ==== === References ===