Wordul · all words

adjective · 1 syllable · /hɑːrʃ/

HARSH

What does "HARSH" mean?

Unpleasantly rough, severe, or cruel to the senses or feelings.

Meanings

  1. Rough or grating to the senses; unpleasantly intense. The harsh glare of the fluorescent lights gave her a headache.
  2. Cruel, severe, or unkind in manner or judgment. His harsh criticism left the young writer in tears.
  3. Difficult and unpleasant to live in or endure. Few plants survive the harsh winters of the high desert.

Word origin

From Middle English 'harsk', probably of Scandinavian origin, originally describing a rough or bitter taste, later extended to sound, touch, and treatment.

Remember it

HARSH sounds like the scrape it describes - the 'sh' at the end is a wince you can hear.

A little poem

Bare bulb in the cell-
no shadow soft enough left
to hide a face in.

haiku

Wordplay

  • I told the critic his review was harsh. He said, 'No, harsh would be if I'd actually finished reading it.'

What it teaches

The truth delivered without mercy is still half a lie about how much you cared to be heard.

Quick facts

What does HARSH mean?

Unpleasantly rough, severe, or cruel to the senses or feelings.

Is HARSH a valid word?

Yes — HARSH is one of the answer words in Wordul, the daily word game.

How many letters is HARSH?

HARSH has 5 letters and 1 syllable.

Where does HARSH come from?

From Middle English 'harsk', probably of Scandinavian origin, originally describing a rough or bitter taste, later extended to sound, touch, and treatment.

What can HARSH teach us?

The truth delivered without mercy is still half a lie about how much you cared to be heard.

How players do

Be the first to solve it.

Play today's Wordul →