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]