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harshest

ADJECTIVE

rough, crude (to the senses)

Synonyms

STRONGEST

bitter bleak grim hard rigid severe sharp strident

STRONG

coarse

WEAK

acrid asperous astringent cacophonous caterwauling clashing cracked craggy creaking croaking disagreeing discordant dissonant disturbing earsplitting flat glaring grating guttural hoarse incompatible jagged jangling jarring noisy not smooth off-key out-of-key out-of-tune rasping raucous rugged rusty screeching sour stridulous tuneless uneven unlevel unmelodious unmusical unrelenting

Antonyms

STRONGEST

bland bright calm cheerful easy facile flexible kind low mild moderate nice pleasant pliable pliant soft sunny yielding

WEAK

courteous gentle peaceful pleasing polite smooth

ADJECTIVE

nasty, abusive

Synonyms

STRONGEST

bitter brutal cruel grim hard punitive relentless rude ruthless severe sharp stern stringent tough unkind unpleasant

WEAK

austere comfortless cussed discourteous dour gruff hairy hard-boiled hard-nosed hard-shell mean pitiless uncivil unfeeling ungracious unrelenting wicked

Antonyms

STRONGEST

agreeable bland calm cheerful compassionate considerate easy facile flexible friendly gentle giving good inexact kind merciful mild nice pleasant sympathetic tolerant wonderful

WEAK

courteous peaceful pleasing polite smooth soft

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

They are each other’s first readers and, occasionally, harshest critics.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2026

“There is no biological reason. The vacuum of space is the harshest environment you can possibly imagine to keep humans alive in.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026

Others suggest planning for the harshest of scenarios.

From MarketWatch • May 14, 2026

Javier Llaque, former head of the National Penitentiary Institute, said Peru already has some of Latin America's harshest sentences.

From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026

Two years later, Robben Island was without question the harshest, most iron-fisted outpost in the South African penal system.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela