We say a sour face, sharp words, bitter complaints, caustic wit, cutting irony, biting sarcasm, a stinging taunt, harsh judgment, a tart reply. Harsh carries the idea of intentional and severe unkindness, bitter of a severity that arises from real or supposed ill treatment.

J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)

Example sentences

strict Algeria has to relax its strict economic policies.
cruel I think it is cruel to trap animals for fur coats.
brutal The city was ruined by the brutal force of nature.
unpleasant He spoke about the unpleasant story for two hours.
rugged Northern Algeria is filled with rugged mountains.
coarse Her skin is coarse from years of working outdoors.

Popularity over time

Word	1850 → 2019	Trend
harsh		rising
strict		steady
cruel		rising
brutal		rising
unpleasant		rising
rugged		falling

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

4 letters: hard¹, rude¹, grim¹, dour²
5 letters: heavy², tough¹, rough¹, sharp¹, cruel², blunt¹, stern¹, husky², raspy²
6 letters: severe², strict¹, bitter², brutal², rugged², uneven³, coarse¹, jagged², unkind², hoarse¹
7 letters: cracked¹, abusive³, grating², austere², caustic², jarring², raucous², brusque¹, scraggy
8 letters: rigorous³, abrasive³, granular³, strident², scabrous
9 letters: dissonant³
10 letters: unpleasant³, oppressive³, discordant³
11 letters: cacophonous
12 letters: disagreeable⁵

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (dour² = 2 syllables).

In other languages

Français: sévère
Català: sever