Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Harshness \Harsh"ness\, n.
   The quality or state of being harsh.

         O, she is Ten times more gentle than her father 's
         crabbed, And he's composed of harshness. --Shak.

         'Tis not enough no harshness gives offense, The sound
         must seem an echo to the sense.          --Pope.

   Syn: Acrimony; roughness; sternness; asperity; tartness. See
        {Acrimony}.

Source : WordNet®

harshness
     n 1: the roughness of a substance that causes abrasions [syn: {abrasiveness},
           {scratchiness}]
     2: harsh or rough to the ear [syn: {roughness}]
     3: the quality of being cruel and causing tension or annoyance
        [syn: {cruelty}, {cruelness}]
     4: excessive sternness; "severity of character"; "the harshness
        of his punishment was inhuman"; "the rigors of boot camp"
        [syn: {severity}, {rigor}, {rigour}, {inclemency}, {hardness},
         {stiffness}]