Word Study
harshness
CIDE DICTIONARY
harshness, n.
The quality or state of being harsh. [1913 Webster]
"O, she is
Ten times more gentle than her father's crabbed,
And he's composed of harshness." [1913 Webster]
Ten times more gentle than her father's crabbed,
And he's composed of harshness." [1913 Webster]
"'Tis not enough no harshness gives offense,
The sound must seem an echo to the sense."
The sound must seem an echo to the sense."
Syn. -- Acrimony; roughness; sternness; asperity; tartness. See Acrimony.
THESAURUS
harshness
Babel, Gothicism, Spartanism, abominability, abruptness, acerbity, acidity, acidulousness, acridity, acrimony, acuteness, aggressiveness, animality, aphonia, artificial voice, asperity, astringency, atrocity, austerity, authoritarianism, bad taste, barbarism, barbarity, barbarousness, baseness, bearishness, beastliness, bite, bitingness, bitterness, bloodlust, bluntness, bombasticness, boorishness, brashness, broken speech, broken tones, broken voice, brusqueness, brusquerie, brutality, bumpiness, cacology, cacophony, causticity, childish treble, choked voice, choppiness, churlishness, clamor, clash, clumsiness, coarseness, contemptibility, contrariety, cracked voice, cragginess, croak, crow, crudeness, cruelty, crustiness, cumbrousness, curtness, cuttingness, demandingness, despicability, despicableness, destructiveness, discipline, discord, disgustingness, dryness, dysarthria, dyslalia, dyslogia, dysphasia, dysphemism, dysphonia, dysphrasia, edge, exactingness, extremity, falsetto, ferociousness, fierceness, flintiness, force, foulness, fulsomeness, furiousness, gracelessness, granulation, grimness, grip, grossness, gruffness, gutturalism, gutturality, gutturalness, hardness, hatefulness, hawking voice, heartlessness, heaviness, heinousness, hispidity, hiss, hoarseness, huskiness, idioglossia, idiolalia, ignobility, ill-balanced sentences, impairment of speech, impetuosity, impropriety, impurity, inclemency, inconcinnity, incorrectness, indecorousness, inelegance, inelegancy, inequality, inexorableness, infelicity, inhumanity, intensity, irregularity, jaggedness, jangle, jar, joltiness, keenness, lack of finish, lack of polish, leadenness, lisp, lisping, loathsomeness, loss of voice, malignity, mercilessness, mere noise, meticulousness, mindlessness, mordacity, mordancy, murderousness, muzzy speech, nasal tone, nasalization, nastiness, nauseousness, noise, noisomeness, nonuniformity, noxiousness, objectionability, objectionableness, obnoxiousness, obscenity, odiousness, offensiveness, piquancy, pitilessness, poignancy, point, pompousness, ponderousness, poor diction, pungency, putridity, putridness, quaver, raggedness, raspiness, raucity, rebarbativeness, regimentation, relentlessness, remorselessness, repellence, repellency, repugnance, repulsiveness, rigid discipline, rigor, rottenness, rough air, roughness, rudeness, ruggedness, rugosity, ruthlessness, savagery, scraggliness, scrapiness, scratchiness, sesquipedalianism, sesquipedality, severity, shake, sharpness, short shrift, shortness, sibilation, slipshod construction, sourness, speech defect, speech impediment, sternness, stertorousness, stiltedness, sting, strictness, stridency, stringency, surliness, tartness, tastelessness, teeth, tender mercies, terrorism, thickness, throatiness, tooth, toughness, tremor, trenchancy, truculence, turbulence, turgidity, twang, ugliness, uncompassionateness, uncouthness, uneuphoniousness, unevenness, unfeelingness, unforgivingness, ungentleness, ungracefulness, unmercifulness, unrefinement, unremorsefulness, unseemliness, unsmoothness, unspeakableness, unsympatheticness, ununiformity, unwieldiness, unyieldingness, vandalism, vehemence, venom, viciousness, vileness, violence, virulence, vulgarism, vulgarityROGET THESAURUS
harshness
Severity
N severity, strictness, harshness, rigor, stringency, austerity, inclemency, arrogance, precisianism, arbitrary power, absolutism, despotism, dictatorship, autocracy, tyranny, domineering, oppression, assumption, usurpation, inquisition, reign of terror, martial law, iron heel, iron rule, iron hand, iron sway, tight grasp, brute force, brute strength, coercion, strong hand, tight hand, hard lines, hard measure, tender mercies, sharp practice, pipe-clay, officialism, tyrant, disciplinarian, precisian, martinet, stickler, bashaw, despot, hard master, Draco, oppressor, inquisitor, extortioner, harpy, vulture, accipitres, birds of prey, raptorials, raptors, severe, strict, hard, harsh, dour, rigid, stiff, stern, rigorous, uncompromising, exacting, exigent, exigeant, inexorable, inflexible, obdurate, austere, hard-headed, hard-nosed, hard-shell, relentless, Spartan, Draconian, stringent, strait-laced, searching, unsparing, iron-handed, peremptory, absolute, positive, arbitrary, imperative, coercive, tyrannical, extortionate, grinding, withering, oppressive, inquisitorial, inclement, cruel, haughty, arrogant, precisian, severely, with a high hand, with a strong hand, with a tight hand, with a heavy hand, at the point of the sword, at the point of the bayonet, Delirant reges plectuntur Achivi, manu forti, ogni debole ha sempre il suo tiranno.Physical Energy
N energy, physical energy, force, power, keenness, intensity, vigor, strength, elasticity, go, high pressure, fire, rush, acrimony, acritude, causiticity, virulence, poignancy, harshness, severity, edge, point, pungency, cantharides, seasoning, activity, agitation, effervescence, ferment, fermentation, ebullition, splutter, perturbation, stir, bustle, voluntary energy, quicksilver, resolution, exertion, excitation, strong, energetic, forcible, active, intense, deep-dyed, severe, keen, vivid, sharp, acute, incisive, trenchant, brisk, rousing, irritation, poignant, virulent, caustic, corrosive, mordant, harsh, stringent, double-edged, double-shotted, double- distilled, drastic, escharotic, racy, potent, radioactive, strongly, fortiter in re, with telling effect, the steam is up, vires acquirit eundo, the race by vigor not by vaunts is won.Discord
N discord, disagreement, discord, disaccord, dissidence, dissonance, jar, clash, shock, jarring, jostling, screw loose, variance, difference, dissension, misunderstanding, cross purposes, odds, brouillerie, division, split, rupture, disruption, division in the camp, house divided against itself, disunion, breach, schism, feud, faction, quarrel, dispute, tiff, tracasserie, squabble, altercation, barney, demel_e, snarl, spat, towrow, words, high words, wrangling, jangle, brabble, cross questions and crooked answers, snip-snap, family jars, polemics, litigation, strife, warfare, outbreak, open rupture, declaration of war, broil, brawl, row, racket, hubbub, rixation, embroilment, embranglement, imbroglio, fracas, breach of the peace, piece of work, scrimmage, rumpus, breeze, squall, riot, disturbance, commotion, bear garden, Donnybrook, Donnybrook Fair, subject of dispute, ground of quarrel, battle ground, disputed point, bone of contention, bone to pick, apple of discord, casus belli, question at issue, vexed question, vexata quaestio, brand of discord, troublous times, cat-and-dog life, contentiousness, enmity, hate, Kilkenny cats, disputant, strange bedfellows, discordant, disagreeing, out of tune, ajar, on bad terms, dissentient, unreconciled, unpacified, contentious, quarrelsome, unpacific, gladiatorial, controversial, polemic, disputatious, factious, litigious, litigant, pettifogging, at odds, at loggerheads, at daggers drawn, at variance, at issue, at cross purposes, at sixes and sevens, at feud, at high words, up in arms, together by the ears, in hot water, embroiled, torn, disunited, quot homines tot sententiae, no love lost between them, non nostrum tantas componere lites, Mars gravior sub pace latet, discord, discordance, dissonance, cacophony, want of harmony, caterwauling, harshness, Babel, Dutch concert, cat's concert, marrowbones and cleavers, discordant, dissonant, absonant, out of tune, tuneless, unmusical, untunable, unmelodious, immelodious, unharmonious, inharmonious, singsong, cacophonous, harsh, jarring.For further exploring for "harshness" in Webster Dictionary Online