Meaning
hardness, harshness
- The physical property of being firm, solid, and resistant to pressure.
- Severity, sternness, or lack of leniency in tone, behavior, or conditions.
In a sentence
Ha risposto con un'insolita durezza alle mie domande.
He answered my questions with unusual harshness.
La scala di Mohs misura la durezza dei minerali.
The Mohs scale measures the hardness of minerals.
Nonostante la durezza del lavoro, nessuno si è lamentato.
Despite the harshness of the work, nobody complained.
Word forms (2)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| durezza | feminine · singular |
| durezze | feminine · plural |
Usage notes
- Derived from the adjective 'duro' with the suffix '-ezza'.
- Used both for physical hardness (e.g. minerals, water) and psychological harshness.