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.

More than half of France's regions are currently under the harshest weather warning, with hundreds of schools ordered to close and highs of 42C hitting Bordeaux on Monday, forecaster Météo-France said.

From BBC • Jun. 22, 2026

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

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 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

These borrowers face the harshest consequences of the student-loan system, including having their Social Security checks, tax refunds and paychecks seized.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 19, 2026

Those left behind had the task of going on with life even as the harshest snow fell, the bitter cold deepened, the game hid, and the fish sank deeper into the lake.

From "The Birchbark House" by Louise Erdrich