4 ADJ Harsh voices and sounds are ones that are rough and unpleasant to listen to. □ It's a pity she has such a loud harsh voice. ● harsh|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ Chris laughed harshly. ● harsh|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ Then in a tone of abrupt harshness, he added, 'Open these trunks!'.
5 ADJ If you talk about harsh realities or facts, or the harsh truth, you are emphasizing that they are true or real, although they are unpleasant and people try to avoid thinking about them. [EMPHASIS ] □ The harsh truth is that luck plays a big part in who will live or die.
har|vest /hɑː r v I st/ (harvests , harvesting , harvested )
1 N‑SING The harvest is the gathering of a crop. □ There were about 300 million tons of grain in the fields at the start of the harvest.
2 N‑COUNT A harvest is the crop that is gathered in. □ Millions of people are threatened with starvation as a result of drought and poor harvests.
3 VERB When you harvest a crop, you gather it in. □ [V n] Many farmers are refusing to harvest the cane. □ [V -ed] …freshly harvested beetroot. ● har|vest|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ …war is hampering harvesting and the distribution of food aid.
har|vest|er /hɑː r v I stə r / (harvesters )
1 N‑COUNT A harvester is a machine which cuts and often collects crops such as wheat, maize, or vegetables.
2 → see also combine harvester
3 N‑COUNT You can refer to a person who cuts, picks, or gathers crops as a harvester .
ha r|vest fe s|ti|val (harvest festivals ) N‑VAR A harvest festival is a Christian church service held every autumn to thank God for the harvest. [mainly BRIT ]
has The auxiliary verb is pronounced /həz, STRONG hæz/. The main verb is usually pronounced /hæ z/. Has is the third person singular of the present tense of have .
ha s-been (has-beens ) N‑COUNT If you describe someone as a has-been , you are indicating in an unkind way that they were important or respected in the past, but they are not now. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ …the so-called experts and various has-beens who foist opinions on us.
hash /hæ ʃ/
1 PHRASE If you make a hash of a job or task, you do it very badly. [INFORMAL ] □ The Government made a total hash of things.
2 N‑COUNT [usu sing] A hash is the sign '#', found on phone keypads and computer keyboards. [mainly BRIT , SPOKEN ]
3 N‑UNCOUNT Hash is hashish . [INFORMAL ]
hash bro wns also hashed browns N‑PLURAL Hash browns or hashed browns are potatoes that have been chopped into small pieces, formed into small cakes, and cooked on a grill or in a frying pan.
hash|ish /hæ ʃiːʃ/ N‑UNCOUNT Hashish is an illegal drug made from the hemp plant which some people smoke like a cigarette to make them feel relaxed. [OLD-FASHIONED ]
hash|tag /hæ ʃtæg/ (hashtags ) N‑COUNT A hashtag is a word or phrase that has the hash symbol (#) in front of it, to show that it is the topic of a message on social media. [COMPUTING ] □ Over the course of the day, dozens of memories were collected under the hashtag #Remembering_Challenger.
hasn't /hæ z ə nt/ Hasn't is the usual spoken form of 'has not'.
hasp /hɑː sp hæ sp/ (hasps ) N‑COUNT A hasp is a flat piece of metal with a long hole in it, fastened to the edge of a door or lid. To close the door or lid, you push the hasp over a metal loop fastened to the other part and put a lock through the loop.
has|sle /hæ s ə l/ (hassles , hassling , hassled )
1 N‑VAR A hassle is a situation that is difficult and involves problems, effort, or arguments with people. [INFORMAL ] □ I don't think it's worth the money or the hassle. □ …a day spent travelling, with all the usual hassles at airport check-in.
2 VERB If someone hassles you, they cause problems for you, often by repeatedly telling you or asking you to do something, in an annoying way. [INFORMAL ] □ [V n] Then my husband started hassling me.
has|sock /hæ sək/ (hassocks ) N‑COUNT A hassock is a cushion for kneeling on in a church. [mainly BRIT ]
hast /hæ st/ Hast is an old-fashioned second person singular form of the verb 'have'. It is used with 'thou' which is an old-fashioned form of 'you'.
haste /he I st/
1 N‑UNCOUNT Haste is the quality of doing something quickly, sometimes too quickly so that you are careless and make mistakes. □ In their haste to escape the rising water, they dropped some expensive equipment.
2 PHRASE If you do something in haste , you do it quickly and hurriedly, and sometimes carelessly. □ Don't act in haste or be hot-headed.
has|ten /he I s ə n/ (hastens , hastening , hastened )
1 VERB If you hasten an event or process, often an unpleasant one, you make it happen faster or sooner. □ [V n] But if he does this, he may hasten the collapse of his own country.
2 VERB If you hasten to do something, you are quick to do it. □ [V to-inf] She more than anyone had hastened to sign the contract.
3 VERB If you hasten to say something, you quickly add something to what you have just said in order to prevent it being misunderstood. □ [V to-inf] He hastened to assure me that there was nothing traumatic to report.
has|ty /he I sti/ (hastier , hastiest )
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A hasty movement, action, or statement is sudden, and often done in reaction to something that has just happened. □ He started screaming insults so I made a hasty escape. ● hasti|ly /he I st I li/ ADV [ADV with v] □ 'It may be satisfying, but it's not fun.'—'No, I'm sure it's not,' said Virginia hastily. 'I didn't mean that.'