adj. unkind or cruel or uncivil; "had harsh words"; "a harsh and unlovable old tyrant"; " a rough answer"

adj. disagreeable to the senses; "the harsh cry of a blue jay"; "harsh cognac"; "the harsh white light makes you screw up your eyes"; "harsh irritating smoke filled the hallway"

adj. unjustly domineering; "incensed at the government's heavy-handed economic policies"; "a manager who rode roughshod over all opposition"

adj. not having a musical sound or pleasing tune

adj. harshly uninviting or formidable in manner or appearance; "a dour, self-sacrificing life"; "a forbidding scowl"; "a grim man loving duty more than humanity"; "undoubtedly the grimmest part of him was his iron claw"- J.M.Barrie

adj. (of weapons or instruments) causing suffering and pain; "brutal instruments of torture"; "cruel weapons of war"

adj. unpleasantly harsh or grating in sound; "a gravelly voice"

adj. harsh; "sharp criticism"; "a sharp-worded exchange"; "a tart remark"

adj. of or relating to or characteristic of Sparta or its people

adj. severely simple; "a stark interior"

adj. characterized by toilsome effort to the point of exhaustion; especially physical effort; "worked their arduous way up the mining valley"; "a grueling campaign"; "hard labor"; "heavy work"; "heavy going"; "spent many laborious hours on the project"; "set a punishing pace"

adj. impressively difficult; "a tall order"

adj. severely simple; "a stark interior"

adj. not forbearing; ruthless; "an unsparing critic"

adj. unsparing and uncompromising in discipline or judgment; "a parent severe to the pitch of hostility"- H.G.Wells; "a hefty six-footer with a rather severe mien"; "a strict disciplinarian"; "a Spartan upbringing"

adj. (of weapons or instruments) causing suffering and pain; "brutal instruments of torture"; "cruel weapons of war"

adj. ruthless in competition; "cutthroat competition"; "bowelless readiness to take advantage"

adj. harshly uninviting or formidable in manner or appearance; "a dour, self-sacrificing life"; "a forbidding scowl"; "a grim man loving duty more than humanity"; "undoubtedly the grimmest part of him was his iron claw"- J.M.Barrie

adj. marked by rude or peremptory shortness; "try to cultivate a less brusque manner"; "a curt reply"; "the salesgirl was very short with him"

adj. characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion; "blunt talking and straight shooting"; "a blunt New England farmer"; "I gave them my candid opinion"; "forthright criticism"; "a forthright approach to the problem"; "tell me what you think--and you may just as well be frank"; "it is possible to be outspoken without being rude"; "plainspoken and to the point"; "a point-blank accusation"

adj. causing dejection; "a blue day"; "the dark days of the war"; "a week of rainy depressing weather"; "a disconsolate winter landscape"; "the first dismal dispiriting days of November"; "a dark gloomy day"; "grim rainy weather"

adj. not forbearing; ruthless; "an unsparing critic"

adj. suggesting the horror of death and decay; "morbid details"

adj. shockingly repellent; inspiring horror; "ghastly wounds"; "the grim aftermath of the bombing"; "the grim task of burying the victims"; "a grisly murder"; "gruesome evidence of human sacrifice"; "macabre tales of war and plague in the Middle ages"; "macabre tortures conceived by madmen"

adj. (of weapons or instruments) causing suffering and pain; "brutal instruments of torture"; "cruel weapons of war"

adj. ruthless in competition; "cutthroat competition"; "bowelless readiness to take advantage"

adj. disagreeable to the senses; "the harsh cry of a blue jay"; "harsh cognac"; "the harsh white light makes you screw up your eyes"; "harsh irritating smoke filled the hallway"

adj. gruesomely indicative of death or the dead; "a charnel smell came from the chest filled with dead men's bones"; "ghastly shrieks"; "the sepulchral darkness of the catacombs"

adj. provoking horror; "an atrocious automobile accident"; "a frightful crime of decapitation"; "an alarming, even horrifying, picture"; "war is beyond all words horrible"- Winston Churchill; "an ugly wound"

adj. strong and sharp;"the pungent taste of radishes"; "the acrid smell of burning rubber"

adj. having strength or power greater than average or expected; "a strong radio signal"; "strong medicine"; "a strong man"

adj. (of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering; "a barbarous crime"; "brutal beatings"; "cruel tortures"; "Stalin's roughshod treatment of the kulaks"; "a savage slap"; "vicious kicks"

adj. having or showing no mercy; "the merciless enemy"; "a merciless critic"; "gave him a merciless beating"

adj. not given to gentleness or sentimentality; "a tough character"

adj. without mercy or pity; "an act of ruthless ferocity"; "a monster of remorseless cruelty"

adj. without compunction or human feeling; "in cold blood"; "cold-blooded killing"; "insensate destruction"

adj. not forbearing; ruthless; "an unsparing critic"

adj. harsh; "sharp criticism"; "a sharp-worded exchange"; "a tart remark"

adj. requiring more than usually expected or thought due; especially great patience and effort and skill; "found the job very demanding"; "a baby can be so demanding"

adj. not making concessions; "took an uncompromising stance in the peace talks"; "uncompromising honesty"

adj. characterized by toilsome effort to the point of exhaustion; especially physical effort; "worked their arduous way up the mining valley"; "a grueling campaign"; "hard labor"; "heavy work"; "heavy going"; "spent many laborious hours on the project"; "set a punishing pace"

adj. impressively difficult; "a tall order"

adj. severely simple; "a stark interior"

adj. unsparing and uncompromising in discipline or judgment; "a parent severe to the pitch of hostility"- H.G.Wells; "a hefty six-footer with a rather severe mien"; "a strict disciplinarian"; "a Spartan upbringing"

adj. lacking love and generosity; "all pious words and uncharitable deeds"- Charles Reade

adj. harsh or corrosive in tone; "an acerbic tone piercing otherwise flowery prose"; "a barrage of acid comments"; "her acrid remarks make her many enemies"; "bitter words"; "blistering criticism"; "caustic jokes about political assassination, talk-show hosts and medical ethics"; "a sulfurous denunciation"; "a vitriolic critique"

adj. (of weapons or instruments) causing suffering and pain; "brutal instruments of torture"; "cruel weapons of war"

adj. marked by deep ill will; deliberately harmful; "poisonous hate"; "venomous criticism"; "vicious gossip"

adj. dangerous to health; characterized by progressive and uncontrolled growth (especially of a tumor)

adj. characterized by malice; "a hateful thing to do"; "in a mean mood"

adj. causing abrasion

adj. of a substance, especially a strong acid; capable of destroying or eating away by chemical action

adj. having or caused by an irregular surface; "trees with rough bark"; "rough ground"; "rough skin"; "rough blankets"; "his unsmooth face"

adj. having a sharply uneven surface or outline; "the jagged outline of the crags"; "scraggy cliffs"

adj. notched like a saw with teeth pointing toward the apex

adj. having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions; "an acute observer of politics and politicians"; "incisive comments"; "icy knifelike reasoning"; "as sharp and incisive as the stroke of a fang"; "penetrating insight"; "frequent penetrative observations"

adj. not forbearing; ruthless; "an unsparing critic"

adj. causing irritation or annoyance; "tapping an annoying rhythm on his glass with his fork"; "aircraft noise is particularly bothersome near the airport"; "found it galling to have to ask permission"; "an irritating delay"; "nettlesome paperwork"; "a pesky mosquito"; "swarms of pestering gnats"; "a plaguey newfangled safety catch"; "a teasing and persistent thought annoyed him"; "a vexatious child"; "it is vexing to have to admit you are wrong"

adj. making worse

adj. used of persons or behavior; showing no clemency or mercy; "the harsh sentence of an inclement judge"

adj. (of weapons or instruments) causing suffering and pain; "brutal instruments of torture"; "cruel weapons of war"

adj. requiring more than usually expected or thought due; especially great patience and effort and skill; "found the job very demanding"; "a baby can be so demanding"

adj. characterized by malice; "a hateful thing to do"; "in a mean mood"

adj. marked by firm determination or resolution; not shakable; "firm convictions"; "a firm mouth"; "steadfast resolve"; "a man of unbendable perseverence"; "unwavering loyalty"

adj. very clearly delineated; "razor-sharp definition"

adj. expressing or expressive of ridicule that wounds

adj. of a substance, especially a strong acid; capable of destroying or eating away by chemical action

adj. requiring precise accuracy; "an exacting job"; "became more exigent over his pronunciation"

adj. made tighter or more stringent; "endured tightened economic controls"

adj. (of weapons or instruments) causing suffering and pain; "brutal instruments of torture"; "cruel weapons of war"

adj. used of persons; "the most calculating and selfish men in the community"

adj. used of persons; emotionally hardened; "faced a case-hardened judge"

adj. "took a hard look"

adj. resembling steel as in hardness; "steely eyes"; "steely nerves like those of a steeplejack"

adj. expecting unquestioning obedience; "he was imperious and dictatorial"; "the timid child of authoritarian parents"; "insufferably overbearing behavior toward the waiter"

adj. offensively self-assured or given to exercising usually unwarranted power; "an autocratic person"; "autocratic behavior"; "a bossy way of ordering others around"; "a rather aggressive and dominating character"; "managed the employees in an aloof magisterial way"; "a swaggering peremptory manner"

adj. noisily domineering; tending to browbeat others

adj. given to haughty disregard of others

adj. able to deal authoritatively with affairs; "dismissed the matter with an imperious wave of her hand"

adj. marked by unjust severity or arbitrary behavior; "the oppressive government"; "oppressive laws"; "a tyrannical parent"; "tyrannous disregard of human rights"

adj. harsh or corrosive in tone; "an acerbic tone piercing otherwise flowery prose"; "a barrage of acid comments"; "her acrid remarks make her many enemies"; "bitter words"; "blistering criticism"; "caustic jokes about political assassination, talk-show hosts and medical ethics"; "a sulfurous denunciation"; "a vitriolic critique"

adj. harsh; "sharp criticism"; "a sharp-worded exchange"; "a tart remark"

adj. disagreeable; "I will not perform the ungrateful task of comparing cases of failure"- Abraham Lincoln

adj. very unpleasant

adj. causing to feel shame or chagrin or vexation; "the embarrassing moment when she found her petticoat down around her ankles"; "it was mortifying to know he had heard every word"

adj. very unpleasant; "hellish weather"; "stop that god-awful racket"

adj. causing misery or pain or distress; "it was a sore trial to him"; "the painful process of growing up"

adj. serving or tending to repel; "he became rebarbative and prickly and spiteful"; "I find his obsequiousness repellent"

adj. causing discomfort; "the unhappy truth"

adj. without beauty or charm

adj. used of persons; "the most calculating and selfish men in the community"

adj. used of persons; emotionally hardened; "faced a case-hardened judge"

adj. "took a hard look"

adj. disagreeable to the senses; "the harsh cry of a blue jay"; "harsh cognac"; "the harsh white light makes you screw up your eyes"; "harsh irritating smoke filled the hallway"

adj. resembling steel as in hardness; "steely eyes"; "steely nerves like those of a steeplejack"

adj. like the cackles or squawks a hen makes especially after laying an egg

adj. like the sounds of frogs and crows; "a guttural voice"; "acres of guttural frogs"

adj. making or causing a harsh and irritating sound; "the jarring noise of the iron gate scraping on the sidewalk"

adj. deep and harsh sounding as if from shouting or illness or emotion; "gruff voices"; "the dog's gruff barking"; "hoarse cries"; "makes all the instruments sound powerful but husky"- Virgil Thomson

adj. like the discordant ringing of nonmusical metallic objects striking together; "cowboys with jangling spurs"

adj. loud and sharp; "the piercing shriek of sirens"

adj. unpleasantly loud and harsh

adj. resembling a sound of violent tearing as of something ripped apart or lightning splitting a tree; "the tree split with a great ripping sound"; "heard a rending roar as the crowd surged forward"

adj. emitting or resembling loud piercing sounds like screams: "a screaming fury of sound"; "shrieking winds"

adj. harsh or corrosive in tone; "an acerbic tone piercing otherwise flowery prose"; "a barrage of acid comments"; "her acrid remarks make her many enemies"; "bitter words"; "blistering criticism"; "caustic jokes about political assassination, talk-show hosts and medical ethics"; "a sulfurous denunciation"; "a vitriolic critique"

adj. disagreeable; "I will not perform the ungrateful task of comparing cases of failure"- Abraham Lincoln

adj. harshly uninviting or formidable in manner or appearance; "a dour, self-sacrificing life"; "a forbidding scowl"; "a grim man loving duty more than humanity"; "undoubtedly the grimmest part of him was his iron claw"- J.M.Barrie

adj. very unpleasant

adj. causing to feel shame or chagrin or vexation; "the embarrassing moment when she found her petticoat down around her ankles"; "it was mortifying to know he had heard every word"

adj. very unpleasant; "hellish weather"; "stop that god-awful racket"

adj. causing misery or pain or distress; "it was a sore trial to him"; "the painful process of growing up"

adj. serving or tending to repel; "he became rebarbative and prickly and spiteful"; "I find his obsequiousness repellent"

adj. causing discomfort; "the unhappy truth"

adj. without beauty or charm

adj. compassionate and kind; conciliatory; "he was soft on his children"

adj. pleasant and beneficial in nature or influence; "a benign smile"; "the benign sky"; "the benign influence of pure air"

adj. affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings; "a pleasant person to be around"; "we had a pleasant evening together"; "a pleasant scene"; "pleasant sensations"

adj. compassionate and kind; conciliatory; "he was soft on his children"

adj. (of sound) relatively low in volume; "soft voices"; "soft music"