harsh job

USAGE SUMMARY

"harsh job" is a correct and usable term in written English.
You can use it when you want to refer to a difficult and unpleasant job. For example, "Being a nurse during a pandemic is a very harsh job."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

The city that never sleeps delivers a nightmare scenario of high rents, a failing relationship with her best friend, and a harsh job market.

Independent

PETER MARKAVAGE -- a 57-year-old product manager at Lucent Technologies -- was only five years from retirement when he was thrust into the harsh job market of 2001.

The New York Times

He added: "It's a harsh job for me to do and I don't take those decisions lightly".

BBC

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

The vast majority of the victims were males and this was expected due to their intense engagement in different work activities including heavy and harsh jobs in every aspects in a stressful environment which ultimately make them more exposed to various types of fatalities.

Egyptian Journal of Forensic Sciences

The legal profession was undergoing the early wave of turbulence that left graduates in subsequent classes facing a harsher job market that has shown few signs of a robust recovery.

The New York Times

Hispanics living in the US are poorer, have harsher jobs and less access to education and health services than non-Hispanic whites.

BBC

Tens of thousands of children, starting as young as six years-old, have traditionally worked in Bolivia's two harshest jobs: cutting sugar cane and mining.

Unicef

Because of low pay and harsh conditions, job turnover in food processing is among the highest in the nation.

The New York Times

When she learned she was pregnant, her outraged father shipped her off to the nearby Sean Ross Abbey where the nuns put all of the "damaged" girls into harsh labor jobs without much pay.

Huffington Post

The brutal fall earlier this year of the politician Bo Xilai, a contender for a top job; harsh political jostling over corruption as candidates finger each other in an attempt to get ahead; the unexplained two-week disappearance of Xi Jinping, the man expected to become party leader and president; and territorial disputes with neighbors are all jangling nerves.

The New York Times

Foreign bank owners have seemed as hesitant about angering influential politicians as their Japanese counterparts have been, and they have not yet pushed the harsh restructuring, deep job cuts and sweeping write-offs of bad loans that were expected of them.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing a job as a "harsh job", provide specific details about what makes it so. For example, mention the difficult conditions, long hours, or emotional toll.

Common error

Avoid using "harsh job" as a generic descriptor for any disliked job. Reserve it for positions with genuinely difficult or extreme conditions to maintain clarity and impact.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "harsh job" functions as a descriptive term, where "harsh" modifies the noun "job". It indicates that the job possesses difficult or unpleasant characteristics. According to Ludwig AI, it is a correct and usable term in written English.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

20%

Formal & Business

20%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "harsh job" is a grammatically correct and usable phrase that describes a difficult or unpleasant occupation. According to Ludwig AI, this phrase is suitable for various contexts, though it is most frequently found in News & Media and scientific publications. When using "harsh job", it's best to provide specific details about the challenging conditions to enhance clarity. While versatile, it should be reserved for truly difficult positions to avoid overgeneralization. Alternatives like "difficult occupation", "tough assignment", or "demanding task" can be used depending on the specific aspect you want to emphasize.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

difficult occupation

Focuses on the difficulty aspect, replacing "job" with a more formal term.

tough assignment

Emphasizes the challenging nature of the work using a different noun.

demanding task

Highlights the high demands placed on the worker.

grueling work

Conveys the exhausting and physically demanding aspect of the job.

arduous labor

Stresses the strenuous and laborious nature of the work.

challenging position

Emphasizes the difficulties encountered in a specific role.

unpleasant employment

Focuses on the disagreeable and unfavorable aspects of the job.

severe occupation

Replaces the word "harsh" with another synonym to highlight the intensity.

taxing work

Highlights the demanding mental or physical effort involved.

punishing labor

Emphasizes the severe and exhausting nature of the work.

FAQs

How can I use "harsh job" in a sentence?

You can use "harsh job" to describe an occupation that involves difficult conditions, long hours, or emotional strain. For example: "Being a firefighter is often a "harsh job" because of the dangers involved."

What is a synonym for "harsh job"?

Alternatives to "harsh job" include "difficult occupation", "tough assignment", or "demanding task", depending on the specific aspect you want to emphasize.

Is it appropriate to describe any job I dislike as a "harsh job"?

While you might dislike a job, describing it as a "harsh job" implies more than just personal preference. It suggests objectively difficult or extreme conditions. It's more accurate to use the term for jobs with significant challenges.

What makes a job qualify as a "harsh job"?

A "harsh job" typically involves a combination of factors such as difficult working conditions, long hours, low pay, high stress levels, physical demands, and potential dangers. These elements collectively make the job exceptionally challenging.