harsh down
C1 informal separable transitive
In simple words
To make something less hard, strict, or severe.
Literal meaning: To bring harshness downward — i.e., to reduce its level.
Meanings
1 C1 informal
To make something, especially language or behavior, less harsh, severe, or aggressive.
"You might want to harsh down your critique a little — the team already knows they made a mistake."
Grammar: separable
Usage notes
Relatively rare and informal. Not widely documented in major dictionaries. Mostly found in informal American speech. Likely an extension of 'harsh' used as a verb. Speakers more commonly use 'tone down' or 'soften'.
Commonly used with
language criticism tone message rhetoric
Forms
Base
harsh down
I/you/we/they
3rd person
harshes down
he/she/it
Past simple
harshed down
yesterday
Past participle
harshed down
have + pp
-ing form
harshing down
continuous
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