different between pertinacious vs harsh

English

Etymology

From pertinace +? -ious, from Old French pertinace, from Latin pertinax, from per- (“very”) + tenax (“tenacious”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?p??t??ne???s/
• (US) enPR: pûr-tn-?'sh?s, IPA^(key): /p?tn??e???s/
• Rhymes: -e???s

Adjective

pertinacious (comparative more pertinacious, superlative most pertinacious)

1. Holding tenaciously to an opinion or purpose.
   • 1884, Henry James, "The Path of Duty" in The English Illustrated Magazine 2(15): 240–256.

     He would really have to make up his mind to care for his wife or not to care for her. What would Lady Vandeleur say to one alternative, and what would little Joscelind say to the other? That is what it was to have a pertinacious father and to be an accommodating son.
2. Stubbornly resolute or tenacious.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:obstinate

Related terms

• pertinaciousness
• pertinacity

Translations

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