different between harsh vs snappish

English

Etymology

From Middle English harsk, harisk(e), hask(e), herris. Century derived the term from Old Norse harskr (whence Danish harsk (“rancid”), dialectal Norwegian hersk, Swedish härsk); the Middle English Dictionary derives it from that and Middle Low German harsch (“rough”, literally “hairy”) (whence also German harsch), from haer (“hair”); the Oxford Dictionary of English derives it from Middle Low German alone.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /h???/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /h???/
• Rhymes: -??(?)?

Adjective

harsh (comparative harsher, superlative harshest)

1. Unpleasantly rough to the touch or other senses.
2. Severe or cruel.

Antonyms

• genteel

Translations

Verb

harsh (third-person singular simple present harshes, present participle harshing, simple past and past participle harshed)

1. (intransitive, slang) To negatively criticize.
2. (transitive, slang) to put a damper on (a mood).

Synonyms

• rough

Derived terms

• harshly
• harshness

Translations

English

Etymology

snap +? -ish.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?snæp??/
• Rhymes: -æp??
• Hyphenation: snap?pish

Adjective

snappish (comparative more snappish, superlative most snappish)

1. Likely to snap or bite.

   A snappish cur

   • 1877, Anna Sewell, Black Beauty Chapter 22[1]

     "She came to us snappish and suspicious, but when she found what sort of place ours was, it all went off by degrees

2. Exhibiting irritation or impatience; curt; irascible.
   • 1990, Nora Roberts, Taming Natasha, Silhouette Books (2011), ?ISBN, unnumbered page:

     She heard her own voice, snappish and rude, and pressed a hand to her head.

   • 2011, Lynne McTaggart, The Bond, Simon & Schuster (2011), ?ISBN, page 91:

     Even though the woman didn't work closely with Barsade, so palpable was her complaining and snappish temperament that it had infected everyone who worked around her.

   • 2011, Mary Doria Russell, Doc, Random House (2011), ?ISBN, page 173:

     There was something underneath her snappish belligerence that made him feel protective and tolerant.

Derived terms

• snappishly
• snappishness

Translations