different between harsh vs unmerciful

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

un- +? merciful

Adjective

unmerciful (comparative more unmerciful, superlative most unmerciful)

1. not showing mercy

Synonyms

• merciless

Antonyms

• merciful

See also

• cruel
• inhuman

Further reading

• unmerciful in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• unmerciful in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• unmerciful at OneLook Dictionary Search