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HOW TO PRONOUNCE

harsh

/ˈhɑɹʃ/

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American Pronunciation Guide · 0:55
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What does harsh mean?

adjective

  1. Unpleasantly rough to the touch or other senses.
  2. Severe or cruel.

verb

  1. (slang) To negatively criticize.
More meanings (2)

verb

  1. (slang) To put a damper on (a mood).

proper noun

  1. A surname.

Definitions regrouped for readability · CC BY-SA 4.0

IPA pronunciation

/ˈhɑɹʃ/

Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0

Pronunciation varies by speaker and region. About these dictionary pronunciations.

In the pages of books

See this word in context.

Behind her stood old master, with cowskin in hand, preparing his barbarous work with all manner of harsh, coarse, and tantalizing epithets.
Frederick DouglassMy Bondage and My FreedomProject Gutenberg ebook #202
Now twelve years of age, and more than usually well-developed, her harsh old mistress began to view her with a jealous eye.
William Wells BrownClotelle; Or, The Colored Heroine, a tale of the Southern States; Or, The President's DaughterProject Gutenberg ebook #241
More book examples (3)
This answer was very much against the wishes of the women, and to all his friends it seemed somewhat harsh and haughty.
PlutarchPlutarch: Lives of the noble Grecians and RomansProject Gutenberg ebook #674
Here is where the harsh realism of the Frenchman shows its superiority to the sentimentality of the men of the Teutonic races.
H. L. (Henry Louis) MenckenIn Defense of WomenProject Gutenberg ebook #1270
I tumbled down on the harsh gravel walk in my eager rush into the house to inquire what they were "there for."
Jane AddamsTwenty Years at Hull House; with Autobiographical NotesProject Gutenberg ebook #1325