harsh reality
11
4.4
- noun
- /hɑrʃ rɪˈælɪti/
:
dura realidad
- The harsh reality is that many people struggle to find a stable job in today's economy.
- the harsh reality of life
A euphemism just sugar coats harsh realities with nice terms.
- A euphemism just sugar coats harsh realities with nice terms.
- Many of us have been there thinking that everything is going great, only to be hit with the harsh reality that she's just not that into you.
- But the harsh reality is that I've got more time behind me now that I do in front of me.
- So we had that about one month of bubble of oblivious being oblivious to the harsh realities of network TV.
Examples
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However, the process of bringing a vision to realization involves harsh realities and sensible planning.
Academic text (2004) -
A recent BBC report featured him in a segment on the harsh realities of covering crime in Baltimore.
Blog text (32) -
Let me give you the harsh reality, all right?
-
It's the harsh reality of our chosen profession.
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Members of the board, as we stand on the threshold of a new decade, we must face harsh reality.
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Europe is dealing with a harsh reality: They are consuming more than they are producing.
Blog text (14) -
These are just the harsh realities of life, friend.
-
But the harsh reality is that I've got more time behind me now that I do in front of me.
-
In Milwaukee, we face the harsh reality of a struggling school system.
Blog text (16) -
Many of us have been there thinking that everything is going great, only to be hit with the harsh reality that she's just not that into you.
Synonyms
2
6.8
An unpleasant fact or event that is hard to accept
Antonyms
How Harsh
1
8.4
11
4.4
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly and predictably derived from 'harsh' (severe, unpleasant) modifying 'reality' (what is real), so a learner who knows both words can infer it refers to an unpleasant or difficult fact/situation. This follows a standard adjective+noun compositional pattern that is cross-linguistically common, making it transparent to a B1 learner.
Etymology
The phrase harsh reality joins harsh, meaning 'rough' or 'severe', and reality, meaning what is really true. It paints a picture of the truth as cold and hard to accept, so it means 'an unpleasant or difficult fact that must be accepted'.