| Noun | 1. | harshness - the roughness of a substance that causes abrasionsroughness - a texture that is not smooth but is irregular and uneven | |
| 2. | harshness - harsh or rough to the eartimbre, tone, quality, timber - (music) the distinctive property of a complex sound (a voice or noise or musical sound); "the timbre of her soprano was rich and lovely"; "the muffled tones of the broken bell summoned them to meet" | |
| 3. | harshness - the quality of being cruel and causing tension or annoyance | |
| 4. | harshness - excessive sternness; "severity of character"; "the harshness of his punishment was inhuman"; "the rigors of boot camp" | |