harsh
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.very strict, unkind, or unfair.
adj.characterised by severity, cruelty, or an absence of leniency.
Simple“The teacher's punishment seemed a bit harsh for such a small mistake.”
In context“The judge was criticised for passing a harsh sentence that failed to account for the defendant's clean prior record.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.unpleasantly bright, loud, or rough.
adj.disagreeable to the physical senses due to excessive intensity or coarseness.
Simple“The harsh light of the hospital room made my headache feel worse.”
In context“The architect avoided using harsh fluorescent lighting, opting instead for recessed lamps that created a warmer atmosphere.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.extremely difficult to live in or survive.
adj.describing environmental or living conditions that are rigorous or hostile to comfort.
Simple“Few animals can survive the harsh winters in the high mountains.”
In context“The expedition was forced to turn back after encountering harsh winds and visibility that dropped to near zero.”
- 04 C1 Advanced
v.to spoil someone's good mood or to be unfairly critical.
v.to dampen a positive atmosphere or to criticise someone in a way that ruins their enjoyment.
Simple“I don't want to harsh your vibe, but we really need to talk about the bill.”
In context“He didn't mean to harsh the party atmosphere, but his constant complaints about the music eventually drove several guests away.”
UsageOften used in the phrase 'harsh my vibe'.
Usage concurrent harsh
“The harsh midday sun beats down on her.”
“Tony Mowbray, their head coach, felt the penalty decision was harsh.”
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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.