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# harshness

noun (harshness — uncountable)

«harshness» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Being unkind, strict or cruel: the harshness of the punishment. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/harshness/#m1)
2. Being rough and unpleasant to the senses: the harshness of a sound, a light or a taste. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/harshness/#m2)
3. Being very difficult to live in: the harshness of the desert or the Arctic winter. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/harshness/#m3)

### In the lessons

In stories and history it describes strict rulers, hard punishments and cruel words; in geography and science it describes extreme climates, like deserts and polar regions, where animals need special adaptations. In ethics lessons we compare harshness with fairness and kindness. Phrases: the harshness of winter, harshness of the climate, harshness of her words.

### Examples

- The harshness of the Arctic winter makes life hard for animals. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/harshness/#x1)
- We were shocked by the harshness of the punishment. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/harshness/#x2)
- The harshness in his voice made the little boy cry. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/harshness/#x3)
- Camels are adapted to the harshness of the desert. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/harshness/#x4)
- The bright light's harshness hurt my eyes. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/harshness/#x5)
- She said sorry for the harshness of her words. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/harshness/#x6)

### Note

Uncountable. From «harsh» + -ness. Opposites: gentleness, softness, kindness, mildness.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «harshness» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/harshness/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«harshness» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/harshness.html) on Mova free.