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Harsh vs. Rough — What's the Difference?

Harsh vs. Rough — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Harsh and Rough

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Harsh

Unpleasantly rough or jarring to the senses
Drenched in a harsh white neon light
Harsh guttural shouts

Rough

Having an uneven or irregular surface; not smooth or level
Her skin felt dry and rough
They had to carry the victim across the rough, stony ground

Harsh

Cruel or severe
A time of harsh military discipline

Rough

(of a person or their behaviour) not gentle; violent or boisterous
Pushchairs should be capable of withstanding rough treatment

Harsh

Disagreeable to the sense of hearing
A harsh voice.
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Rough

Not finished tidily or decoratively; plain and basic
The customers sat at rough wooden tables

Harsh

Disagreeable to the sense of sight
Harsh lighting.

Rough

(of a voice) harsh and rasping
His voice was rough with barely suppressed fury

Harsh

Unpleasantly coarse and rough to the touch
Harsh burlap.

Rough

Not exact or precise; approximate
It'll cost about £50, at a rough guess
They had a rough idea of when the murder took place

Harsh

Unpleasant, uncomfortable, or hostile to survival
A harsh wilderness.
A harsh winter.

Rough

Difficult and unpleasant or unfair
The first day of a job is rough on everyone
The teachers gave me a rough time because my image didn't fit

Harsh

Severe, cruel, or exacting
Harsh punishment.
A harsh overseer.

Rough

In a manner that lacks gentleness; harshly or violently
Treat 'em rough but treat 'em fair

Harsh

Disagreeable to the mind or feelings
Harsh words.

Rough

A disreputable and violent person
The rear of the column was attacked by roughs

Harsh

Expressing displeasure or disapproval
Gave me a harsh look.

Rough

(on a golf course) longer grass around the fairway and the green
His second shot lay in the rough

Harsh

Unpleasantly rough to the touch or other senses.

Rough

A preliminary sketch
I did a rough to work out the scale of the lettering

Harsh

Severe or cruel.

Rough

An uncut precious stone
Miners discovered one of the biggest diamond roughs in history

Harsh

To negatively criticize.
Quit harshing me already, I said that I was sorry!

Rough

Work or shape (something) in a rough, preliminary fashion
Flat surfaces of wood are roughed down

Harsh

To put a damper on (a mood).
Dude, you're harshing my buzz.

Rough

Make uneven
Rough up the icing with a palette knife

Harsh

Rough; disagreeable; grating

Rough

Live in discomfort with only basic necessities
She'd had to rough it alone in digs

Harsh

Unpleasant and repulsive to the sensibilities; austere; crabbed; morose; abusive; abusive; severe; rough.
Clarence is so harsh, so blunt.
Though harsh the precept, yet the preacher charmed.

Rough

Having a surface marked by irregularities, protuberances, or ridges; not smooth
Planed the board so it was no longer rough.

Harsh

Having violent contrasts of color, or of light and shade; lacking in harmony.

Rough

Coarse or shaggy to the touch
A rough scratchy blanket.

Harsh

Unpleasantly stern;
Wild and harsh country full of hot sand and cactus
The nomad life is rough and hazardous

Rough

Difficult to travel over or through
The rough terrain of the highlands.

Harsh

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

Rough

Characterized by violent motion; turbulent
Rough waters.

Harsh

Extremely unkind or cruel;
Had harsh words
A harsh and unlovable old tyrant

Rough

Difficult to endure or live through, especially because of harsh or inclement weather
A rough winter.

Harsh

Severe;
A harsh penalty

Rough

Unpleasant or difficult
Had a rough time during the exam.

Harsh

Used of circumstances (especially weather) that cause suffering;
Brutal weather
Northern winters can be cruel
A cruel world
A harsh climate
A rigorous climate
Unkind winters

Rough

Characterized by or done with violence or forcefulness
A sport noted for rough play.
A package that received rough handling.

Harsh

Sharply disagreeable; rigorous;
The harsh facts of court delays
An abrasive character

Rough

Boisterous, disorderly, or given to violence
Ran with a rough crowd.

Rough

Characterized by violence or crime
Lives in a rough neighborhood.

Rough

Lacking polish or finesse
Rough manners.

Rough

Harsh to the ear
A rough raspy sound.

Rough

Being in a natural state
Rough diamonds.

Rough

Not perfected, completed, or fully detailed
A rough drawing.
Rough carpentry.

Rough

The surface or part of something that is uneven or coarse
Felt the rough of his chin.

Rough

Rugged overgrown terrain.

Rough

(Sports) The area of a golf hole in which the grass is left unmowed or is cut to a length longer than that of the fairway.

Rough

A disorderly, unrefined, or unfinished state.

Rough

A difficult or disagreeable aspect or condition of something
Observed politics in the rough when working as an intern on Capitol Hill.

Rough

A person given to violent or disorderly behavior; a rowdy.

Rough

To treat roughly or with physical violence
Roughed up his opponent.

Rough

(Sports) To treat (an opposing player) with unnecessary roughness, often in violation of the rules
Was ejected from the game for roughing the passer.

Rough

To prepare or indicate in an unfinished form
Rough out a house plan.

Rough

In a rough manner; roughly
The engine began to run rough and faltered.

Rough

Not smooth; uneven.

Rough

Approximate; hasty or careless; not finished.
A rough estimate
A rough sketch of a building
A rough plan

Rough

Turbulent.
Rough sea

Rough

Difficult; trying.
Being a teenager nowadays can be rough.

Rough

Crude; unrefined.
His manners are a bit rough, but he means well.

Rough

Worn; shabby; weather-beaten.

Rough

Violent; not careful or subtle.
This box has been through some rough handling.

Rough

Loud and hoarse; offensive to the ear; harsh; grating.
A rough tone
A rough voice

Rough

(of a gem) Not polished; uncut.
A rough diamond

Rough

Harsh-tasting.
Rough wine

Rough

Somewhat ill; sick; in poor condition.

Rough

Unwell due to alcohol; hungover.

Rough

The unmowed part of a golf course.

Rough

A rude fellow; a coarse bully; a rowdy.

Rough

(cricket) A scuffed and roughened area of the pitch, where the bowler's feet fall, used as a target by spin bowlers because of its unpredictable bounce.

Rough

The raw material from which faceted or cabochon gems are created.

Rough

A quick sketch, similar to a thumbnail but larger and more detailed, used for artistic brainstorming.

Rough

(obsolete) Boisterous weather.

Rough

A piece inserted in a horseshoe to keep the animal from slipping.

Rough

To create in an approximate form.
Rough in the shape first, then polish the details.

Rough

(ice hockey) To commit the offense of roughing, i.e. to punch another player.

Rough

To render rough; to roughen.

Rough

To break in (a horse, etc.), especially for military purposes.

Rough

To endure primitive conditions.
To rough it

Rough

(transitive) To roughen a horse's shoes to keep the animal from slipping.

Rough

In a rough manner; rudely; roughly.

Rough

Having inequalities, small ridges, or points, on the surface; not smooth or plain; as, a rough board; a rough stone; rough cloth.

Rough

Not polished; uncut; - said of a gem; as, a rough diamond.
More unequal than the roughest sea.

Rough

Hence, figuratively, lacking refinement, gentleness, or polish.
A fiend, a fury, pitiless and rough.
A surly boatman, rough as wayes or winds.

Rough

Marked by coarseness; shaggy; ragged; disordered; - said of dress, appearance, or the like; as, a rough coat.

Rough

Marked by severity or violence; harsh; hard; as, rough measures or actions.
On the rough edge of battle.
A quicker and rougher remedy.
Kind words prevent a good deal of that perverseness which rough and imperious usage often produces.

Rough

Loud and hoarse; offensive to the ear; harsh; grating; - said of sound, voice, and the like; as, a rough tone; rough numbers.

Rough

Austere; harsh to the taste; as, rough wine.
He stayeth his rough wind.
Time and the hour runs through the roughest day.

Rough

Hastily or carelessly done; wanting finish; incomplete; as, a rough estimate; a rough draught.

Rough

Produced offhand.

Rough

Boisterous weather.

Rough

A rude fellow; a coarse bully; a rowdy.
Contemplating the people in the rough.

Rough

In a rough manner; rudely; roughly.
Sleeping rough on the trenches, and dying stubbornly in their boats.

Rough

To render rough; to roughen.

Rough

To break in, as a horse, especially for military purposes.

Rough

To cut or make in a hasty, rough manner; - with out; as, to rough out a carving, a sketch.

Rough

The part of a golf course bordering the fairway where the grass is not cut short

Rough

Prepare in preliminary or sketchy form

Rough

Having or caused by an irregular surface;
Trees with rough bark
Rough ground
A rough ride
Rough skin
Rough blankets
His unsmooth face
Unsmooth writing

Rough

(of persons or behavior) lacking refinement or finesse;
She was a diamond in the rough
Rough manners

Rough

Not quite exact or correct;
The approximate time was 10 o'clock
A rough guess
A ballpark estimate

Rough

Full of hardship or trials;
The rocky road to success
They were having a rough time

Rough

Violently agitated and turbulent;
Boisterous winds and waves
The fierce thunders roar me their music
Rough weather
Rough seas

Rough

Unpleasantly harsh or grating in sound;
A gravelly voice

Rough

Ready and able to resort to force or violence;
Pugnacious spirits...lamented that there was so little prospect of an exhilarating disturbance
They were rough and determined fighting men

Rough

Of the margin of a leaf shape; having the edge cut or fringed or scalloped

Rough

Not shaped by cutting or trimming;
An uncut diamond
Rough gemstones

Rough

Not carefully or expertly made;
Managed to make a crude splint
A crude cabin of logs with bark still on them
Rough carpentry

Rough

Not perfected;
A rough draft
A few rough sketches

Rough

Unpleasantly stern;
Wild and harsh country full of hot sand and cactus
The nomad life is rough and hazardous

Rough

With roughness or violence (`rough' is an informal variant for `roughly');
He was pushed roughly aside
They treated him rough

Rough

With rough motion as over a rough surface;
Ride rough

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