I. ˈhärsh, ˈhȧsh adjective
( -er/-est )
Etymology: alteration of earlier harsk, from Middle English, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Norwegian harsk rancid, harsh, Swedish härsk rancid; akin to Middle Low German harsch rough, and probably to Latin carrere to card — more at chard
1. : having a coarse or uneven surface : rough to the touch : shaggy
a small terrier with a harsh dense coat — Dict. of Sports
granite stones harsh with lichen — Nancy Hale
specifically : difficult to manipulate and finish because of too many large particles of aggregate in proportion to the amount of fine particles
harsh mortar
harsh concrete
2.
a. : disagreeable to taste or smell : raw , acrid , irritating
the cognac was harsh — Winifred Bambrick
a very irritating, pungent, harsh smoke — W.W.Garver
b. : disagreeable to the ear : grating , strident , jarring
her harsh voice was full of power and humor — G.W.Brace
music … requires sounds of many contrasting kinds: harsh as well as mellow — Robert Donington
c. : disagreeable to the eye : stark
harsh dull greens and blacks — Roger Fry
a harsh , almost a violent, face — Claudia Cassidy
specifically photography : hard
d. : physically disagreeable : uncomfortable
wild and harsh country, full of hot sand and the cholla cactus — S.H.Adams
harsh north wind — Osbert Sitwell
harsh lives of toil in sweatshops and mines
3.
a. : sharply unpleasant or rigorous : stern
the harsh facts of court delays in our city — S.H.Hofstadter
could be done by a woman as easily as by a man … provided discipline were harsh enough — Lewis Mumford
b. : severe , exacting , cruel
as harsh and unlovable an old tyrant as one could well imagine — Sat. Eve. Post
4. : lacking in aesthetic grace or refinement : crude
a harsh and sometimes unpleasant book, barren of pretty touches — Brendan Gill
Synonyms: see rough
II. adverb
: harshly
with harsh -resounding trumpets' dreadful bray — Shakespeare