harshness

/ˈhɑːʃnəs/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈhɑːrʃnəs/ (ame, ipa)

harshness — 名詞

1. the quality of treating people in a cruel or severe way, without showing kindnes

1.名詞B2
釋義

嚴厲；嚴酷

待人殘酷或不仁慈的性質

the quality of treating people in a cruel or severe way, without showing kindness or sympathy — for example, a teacher who gives unfairly harsh punishments, or a manager who criticises employees in front of others

例句

Wei could not forget the harshness her supervisor showed during the team meeting.

Wei 無法忘記主管在團隊會議上表現出的嚴厲。

harshness + showed + during [event]

The harshness of the prison guards' treatment drew criticism from human rights groups.

監獄管理人員對待囚犯的嚴酷作法遭到了人權團體的批評。

harshness of + possessive noun

同義詞
  • severity

    slightly more formal; often used for rules and punishments rather than personal treatment

  • cruelty

    stronger; implies a deliberate wish to cause pain, not just strictness

  • strictness

    more neutral; can describe fair but firm rules, not necessarily unkind

反義詞
  • kindness

    general opposite; treating people with care and warmth

  • gentleness

    soft opposite; handling others in a mild, careful way

文法句型

harshness + of + noun phrase

用法筆記

Frequently followed by 'of' plus a noun phrase naming the source of the harsh behaviour (e.g. 'the harshness of the regime', 'the harshness of her criticism').

常見錯誤

❌The teacher's harshness to the students was unnecessary.
✅The teacher's harshness toward the students was unnecessary.
💡'harshness' pairs with 'toward', not 'to', when referring to the target of the behaviour.

2. how unpleasant something feels to the senses when it is excessively strong, brig

2.名詞B2
釋義

強烈；刺眼

光線、聲音、觸感等過於強烈而不舒服

how unpleasant something feels to the senses when it is excessively strong, bright, loud, or rough — for example, blinding midday sun, a grating voice, or a scratchy woollen fabric

例句

The harshness of the desert sun made it impossible to walk without a hat.

沙漠陽光的強烈讓人不可能不戴帽子行走。

harshness of [sun / light]

Chen complained about the harshness of the hotel towels against his sunburned skin.

Chen 抱怨旅館毛巾摩擦他被曬傷的皮膚時感覺很粗糙。

harshness of [fabric / surface]

同義詞
  • intensity

    more neutral term for strength of a quality; does not carry the same negative feeling

  • roughness

    specifically about texture or surface feel

  • severity

    can overlap for weather conditions, but less common for light or sound

反義詞
  • softness

    opposite for texture, sound, and light quality

  • gentleness

    opposite for weather and touch

文法句型

harshness + of + noun (sensory source)

用法筆記

Used with nouns that describe sensory stimuli — light, sound, texture, weather, and taste. Distinguish from sense 1 (UNKIND TREATMENT), where the severity is about behaviour rather than physical sensation.

常見錯誤

❌The harshness of his criticism hurt my ears.
✅The harshness of the microphone feedback hurt my ears.
💡Use sense 2 for physical sound intensity; use sense 1 (UNKIND TREATMENT) for critical remarks.