Definition of "harsh" []

• Unpleasantly coarse and rough to the touch. See Synonyms at rough. (adjective)
• Disagreeable to the senses, especially to the sense of hearing. (adjective)
• Severe, cruel, or exacting: harsh punishment; a harsh overseer. (adjective)
• Unpleasant or uncomfortable: a harsh wilderness. (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "JOHN KING, SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Don't know if I use the term harsh battle, but Many think the president has to strike a new tone in the relationships."
• "Last September, thousands of blacks descended on Jena, La., to protest what they called the harsh charging of six African-American high-school students by a local prosecutor for the serious beating of a white classmate."
• "So why did the CIA destroy videotapes that reportedly show what they called harsh techniques, harsh interrogation techniques?"