Harshness and Lenity

Opposite meaning words

Harshness noun - A harsh or sharp quality.

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Lenity is an antonym for harshness.

Nearby Words: harsh, harshly

Lenity noun - Kind, gentle, or compassionate treatment especially towards someone who is undeserving of it.

Usage example: a social critic who argues that judicial lenity is chiefly to blame for the increased criminality that plagues us

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Harshness is an antonym for lenity in topics: grace, tolerance.

Cite this Source

Lenity and Harshness. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 13, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/harshness/lenity

Harshness & Lenity. N.p., 2016. Web. 13 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/harshness/lenity>.

Lenity or Harshness. 2016. Accessed August 13, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/harshness/lenity.

Google Ngram Viewer shows how "harshness" and "lenity" have occurred on timeline