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.

Russia remains marked by some of the developed world’s harshest mortality rates.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026

Many try to keep cool by covering their heads, drinking salted water or adjusting work hours to avoid the harshest afternoon sun - but such measures offer only limited relief.

From BBC • May 28, 2026

Sharda Devi, 55, a settler's daughter, recalls the first arrivals "toiling in some of the harshest conditions" to carve plantations out of the tangled forests.

From Barron's • May 18, 2026

Even so, Perry remains her own harshest critic.

From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026

Charles felt that if he could explain the evolution of the eye, he could convince even the harshest skeptic that he was right.

From "Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith" by Deborah Heiligman