1
as in bitterness
a harsh or sharp quality
there was a harshness about her voice that made her an unlikely but surprisingly evocative singer of torch songs
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in severity
the quality or state of being demanding or unyielding (as in discipline or criticism)
was surprised at the harshness of the choirmaster's criticism, since he was usually pretty easygoing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of harshness
The harshness or relentlessness of weather can turn friends to lovers, can cause others to lose their minds, can provoke travel across continents, can cancel plans, can reroute rivers, can flood civilizations, can incite both panic and delight, can wash away a life’s work, can set fire to forests.
—
Literary Hub, 11 May 2026
Concrete and glass meet at sharp angles, while a curved courtyard wall softens the harshness.
—New Atlas, 13 Apr. 2026
Sunlight naturally sanitizes, and air drying prevents the harshness of high heat.
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 14 Feb. 2026
The tinted visor that Morgan Geekie wore for two games against the Chicago Blackhawks and Dallas Stars in January could help mute the lights’ harshness.
—Fluto Shinzawa, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2026
Seoul 1988 Retinal Eye Cream Viral for using retinal (stronger than retinol) in a liposome delivery system for smoother texture without harshness.
—Corein Carter, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
The noise cancellation is legendary, and the sound is balanced and clean, with no weird bass boosting or treble harshness.
—PC Magazine, 1 Dec. 2025
The harshness of the rhetoric reflects just how much Moscow stands to lose if the deal holds and TRIPP become a reality.
—Ilan Berman, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025
Middleton aimed to create a score that reflects the harshness and hope of the desert setting.
—Audrey Gibbs, Nashville Tennessean, 17 Oct. 2025
Literary Hub, 11 May 2026
Concrete and glass meet at sharp angles, while a curved courtyard wall softens the harshness.
—New Atlas, 13 Apr. 2026
Sunlight naturally sanitizes, and air drying prevents the harshness of high heat.
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 14 Feb. 2026
The tinted visor that Morgan Geekie wore for two games against the Chicago Blackhawks and Dallas Stars in January could help mute the lights’ harshness.
—Fluto Shinzawa, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2026
Seoul 1988 Retinal Eye Cream Viral for using retinal (stronger than retinol) in a liposome delivery system for smoother texture without harshness.
—Corein Carter, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
The noise cancellation is legendary, and the sound is balanced and clean, with no weird bass boosting or treble harshness.
—PC Magazine, 1 Dec. 2025
The harshness of the rhetoric reflects just how much Moscow stands to lose if the deal holds and TRIPP become a reality.
—Ilan Berman, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025
Middleton aimed to create a score that reflects the harshness and hope of the desert setting.
—Audrey Gibbs, Nashville Tennessean, 17 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harshness
Noun
-
Charlotte struggled to surmount her anger and bitterness toward her once-dear sibling.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 May 2026
-
This tendency, called marcescence, may have developed a few million years ago to discourage large mammals from browsing on trees in winter due to the bitterness of the tannin-rich leaves surrounding buds.—
Luke Miller,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
Trinidad and Tobago disputes the spill’s size and severity, saying only 10 barrels spilled on May 1 and were quickly contained.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2026
-
Research shows a strong link between HS severity and metabolic factors like obesity and insulin resistance, which contribute to a chronic pro-inflammatory state.—
Lauryn Higgins,
Flow Space,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
Located on the roof of the Hyatt Centric hotel, the bar has curated cocktails, and offers an array of bites from sister restaurant 7th Street Standard on the street level of the hotel, including chicken tandoori lollipops and charred rapini flatbread.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
15 May 2026
-
Cucumber Tea Sandwiches and mini quiche bites are easy to grab individually and provide substance to the picnic.—
Kylie Petty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
15 May 2026
Noun
-
The stalemate that existed has been broken, and the Republicans now seem likely to obtain a meaningful edge heading into the midterms.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
15 May 2026
-
Among the various aspects of the movie that its English title refers to, not least is the unhinged rampage Lina unleashes at a couple of schoolgirls, a gringa loca on the razor’s edge.—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
That means that one in every 17 miles of Idaho roads studied scored poor on the roughness index.—
Rose Evans
May 11,
Idaho Statesman,
11 May 2026
-
With just the right amount of roughness, the ocean is the perfect place for littles ones to exert their boundless energy.—
Katherine Polcari,
Southern Living,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Harshness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harshness. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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