RUB HARSHLY can be defined as the act of using friction to cause discomfort or pain. The two crossword solutions for this term are CHAFE and GRIND. CHAFE is an action that involves rubbing something against a surface in order to cause irritation or discomfort. GRIND is an action that involves rubbing two surfaces together in order to reduce them to smaller pieces. Both of these actions involve friction and can be used to describe the term RUB HARSHLY.