- excessive sternness
- severity of character
- the harshness of his punishment was inhuman
- the rigors of boot camp
Synonym: severityseverenessrigorrigourrigorousnessrigourousnessinclemencyhardnessstiffness
- the quality of being cruel and causing tension or annoyance
Synonym: crueltycruelness
- the roughness of a substance that causes abrasions
Synonym: abrasivenessscratchiness
- the quality of being unpleasant (harsh or rough or grating) to the senses
Synonym: roughness