adjective

harsh

HARSH/hɑːrʃ/

Severely rough and unpleasant to experience.

The harsh shower spray makes the man wince and raise a protective hand.

A man recoils from the harsh spray of a shower: forceful narrow jets strike his reddened shoulder while he winces and raises a protective hand.

Etymology

Harsh probably comes from Middle English harske, meaning “rough, coarse, sour.” Originally describing hairy texture, it extended physical unpleasantness to things that offend the feelings and to disagreeable or rude behavior.

In context

WIRED18:20

you kind of cooked it. You generated a bunch of new tastes in the liquid and yeah, it's gonna taste harsh, bitter, and unpleasant.

James Hoffmann Answers Coffee Questions From Twitter | Tech Support | WIRED

More examples

A harsh scraping noise comes from the old fan.
Few plants survive the harsh winters on this mountain.
His harsh criticism leaves her afraid to try again.

Forms

harsh · harsher · harshest

harshness noun — The quality of being rough or severe.

harshly adverb — In an unpleasantly rough or severe way.

Similar words

rough: Rough emphasizes uneven texture or handling rather than unpleasant intensity.
grating: Grating especially describes sounds or behavior that irritate persistently.
severe: Severe emphasizes intensity or strictness rather than sensory unpleasantness.