Afflicting
Afflicting adjective - Hard to accept or bear especially emotionally.
Usage example: the afflicting sight of so many earthquake victims was too much even for some hardened rescue workers
Harsh and afflicting are semantically related. In some cases you can use "Harsh" instead an adjective "Afflicting".
Harsh
Harsh adjective - Hard to accept or bear especially emotionally.
Usage example: harsh words of criticism from her music teacher
Afflicting and harsh are semantically related. Sometimes you can use "Afflicting" instead an adjective "Harsh".
Mutual synonyms
Related pairs
Cite this Source
Harsh and Afflicting. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 01, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/afflicting/harsh
Afflicting & Harsh. N.p., 2016. Web. 01 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/afflicting/harsh>.
Harsh or Afflicting. 2016. Accessed August 01, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/afflicting/harsh.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "afflicting" and "harsh" have occurred on timeline