harass

verb

ha·​rass hə-ˈras How to pronounce harass (audio)
ˈher-əs,
ˈha-rəs How to pronounce harass (audio)
harassed; harassing; harasses

transitive verb

1
a
: exhaust, fatigue
I have been harassed with the toil of verseWilliam Wordsworth
b(1)
: to annoy persistently
was harassing his younger brother
(2)
: to create an unpleasant or hostile situation for especially by uninvited and unwelcome verbal or physical conduct
was being harassed by her classmates
claims that the police were unfairly harassing him
2
: to worry and impede by repeated raids
harassed the enemy
harasser noun
harassment noun
Choose the Right Synonym for harass

worry, annoy, harass, harry, plague, pester, tease mean to disturb or irritate by persistent acts.

worry implies an incessant goading or attacking that drives one to desperation.

pursued a policy of worrying the enemy

annoy implies disturbing one's composure or peace of mind by intrusion, interference, or petty attacks.

you're doing that just to annoy me

harass implies petty persecutions or burdensome demands that exhaust one's nervous or mental power.

harassed on all sides by creditors

harry may imply heavy oppression or maltreatment.

the strikers had been harried by thugs

plague implies a painful and persistent affliction.

plagued all her life by poverty

pester stresses the repetition of petty attacks.

constantly pestered with trivial complaints

tease suggests an attempt to break down one's resistance or rouse to wrath.

children teased the dog

Examples of harass in a Sentence

She was constantly harassed by the other students. He claims that he is being unfairly harassed by the police.
Recent Examples on the Web The confrontation that preceded the shooting involved the 36-year-old man who wound up being shot and the 32-year-old, whom the older man was harassing as the northbound A train pulled into Hoyt-Schermerhorn station in Downtown Brooklyn around 4:45 p.m., the police said. Hurubie Meko, New York Times, 15 Mar. 2024 Following a Kotaku report about Sweet Baby Inc Detected, members of the chat have relentlessly harassed the reporter of the story online. Megan Farokhmanesh, WIRED, 14 Mar. 2024 Last year, classmates regularly harassed a transgender teenager in Mississippi for his short hair and for wearing boy’s clothing and chest binders, his mother said in an interview. John D. Harden, Washington Post, 12 Mar. 2024 But Hernandez’s godfather, Juan Quintero, told KTLA his godson was standing up for women who were being harassed at the restaurant by a group of men. Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2024 Students told the Star-Telegram strangers hang out in the alley behind their homes day and night, sometimes harassing them on their way to campus. James Hartley, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Mar. 2024 The initiative comes after Rosenworcel in January sent a letter to nine large U.S. automakers asking for details about connected car systems and plans to support people who have been harassed and stalked by domestic abusers. Tom Krisher, Quartz, 28 Feb. 2024 Last year, after FBI agents executed a search warrant at Mar-a-Lago, prosecutors say some agents were threatened and harassed. Greg Allen, NPR, 1 Mar. 2024 Either way, your mom should speak to the family and urge them to stop harassing you. Harriette Cole, The Mercury News, 29 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'harass.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French harasser, from Middle French, from harer to set a dog on, from Old French hare, interjection used to incite dogs, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German hier here — more at here

First Known Use

1617, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of harass was in 1617

Dictionary Entries Near harass

Cite this Entry

“Harass.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/harass. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

harass

verb
ha·​rass hə-ˈras How to pronounce harass (audio) ˈhar-əs How to pronounce harass (audio)
1
a
: to tire out by continual efforts
b
: to annoy persistently
c
: to create an unpleasant situation for by unwelcome verbal or physical conduct
2
: to worry with repeated attacks
harassed the enemy
harasser noun
harassment noun

Legal Definition

harass

transitive verb
: to subject persistently and wrongfully to annoying, offensive, or troubling behavior
a collection agency harassing a debtor
see also sexual harassment
harasser noun
harassment noun
Etymology

Middle French harasser to exhaust, fatigue, from harer to set a dog on, from Old French hare, interjection used to incite dogs

More from Merriam-Webster on harass

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!