harsh
adjective (UNKIND) /hɑːʃ/
/hɑːrʃ/ Definition
C1 unpleasant, unkind, cruel, or more severe than is necessary: harsh criticism The children had had a harsh upbringing. We thought the punishment was rather harsh for such a minor offence. "There is no alternative," she said in a harsh voice. He said some harsh words (= spoke unkindly) about his brother.Unkind, cruel and unfeelingViolent or aggressiveTreating people or animals badlyInsults and abuseSevere harshly /-li/ adverb C2 I thought she'd been treated rather harshly.Unkind, cruel and unfeelingViolent or aggressiveTreating people or animals badlyInsults and abuseSevere harshness /-nəs/ noun [U] Unkind, cruel and unfeelingViolent or aggressiveTreating people or animals badlyInsults and abuseSevere
(Definition of harsh adjective (UNKIND) from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus
© Cambridge University Press)
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Synonyms and related words:
- an iron hand/fist in a velvet glove idiom
- austere adjective
- be heavy on sb idiom
- disciplinarian noun
- draconian adjective
- flaming adjective
- hard adjective (SEVERE)
- rigour noun (FORCEFULNESS)
- roundly adverb
- rule sth with an iron hand/fist idiom
- severe adjective (NOT KIND)
- severely adverb (NOT KINDLY)
- sharp adjective (ABLE TO CUT)
- sharply adverb (ABLE TO CUT)
- stern adjective
- sternly adverb
- stiffly adverb (SEVERE)
- strict adjective
- strictly adverb
- strictness noun
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Severe
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