Harsh
Strict
Strict adjective - Given to exacting standards of discipline and self-restraint.
Usage example: that piano teacher is notoriously strict, but students make great strides under her tutelage
Harsh is a synonym for strict in severe topic. You can use "Harsh" instead an adjective "Strict", if it concerns topics such as stern, characteristic, stringent, easy. popular alternative
Nearby Words: strictly, strictness
Mutual synonyms
Both words in one sentence
- Tiger wanted to toughen his brother up so often acted strict and harsh towards him.
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Red might seem harsh and strict, but dealing with it leads Eric to become a stronger person for it, especially since Red only really punishes Eric when he's actually done something to deserve it.
Source: Good Parents - Took a Level in Kindness: Grandfather Frost, though never a villain, is very strict and harsh in the play (and in the folk tales about him).
Source: Theatre / The Snow Maiden
Cite this Source
Strict and Harsh. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/harsh/strict
Harsh & Strict. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/harsh/strict>.
Strict or Harsh. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/harsh/strict.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "harsh" and "strict" have occurred on timeline