Pronunciation: /hɑːrʃnəs/
noun a quality or state of being harsh; severity or strictness
A1 The harshness of the sun made her put on sunscreen.
A2 The harshness of her words hurt his feelings.
B1 The harshness of the winter weather required extra precautions to stay warm.
B2 The harshness of the judge's sentence left him feeling defeated, but he vowed to make things right.
C1 The harshness of the reality of the situation was a wake-up call for him, prompting him to make changes.
C2 The harshness of the criticism was a blow to his ego, but he used it as motivation to prove them wrong.
adjective harsh
A1 The teacher's harshness made the students afraid to ask questions.
A2 The harshness of the weather forced us to stay indoors.
B1 The harshness of the punishment was meant to deter others from breaking the rules.
B2 The harshness of the judge's sentencing shocked everyone in the courtroom.
C1 The harshness of the critics' reviews caused the artist to doubt their work.
C2 The harshness of the reality of war cannot be fully understood unless experienced firsthand.
formal The harshness of the punishment was meant to deter future crimes.
informal I couldn't believe the harshness of her criticism towards him.
slang The teacher's harshness towards us is totally uncalled for.
figurative The harshness of winter seemed to never end, with snow piling up higher and higher.
harshnesses
harsher
harshest
harshens
will harshen
has harshened
is harshening
harshness
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to harshen
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