harass

ha·rass | \ hə-ˈras

How to pronounce harass (audio)

; ˈher-əs, ˈha-rəs

How to pronounce harass (audio)

\

harassed; harassing; harasses

Definition of harass

transitive verb

1a : exhaust, fatigue I have been harassed with the toil of verse— William 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

Other Words from harass Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about harass

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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 Similar reports of doxing are reverberating around China with victims reporting cases of being harassed by strangers. — Eamon Barrett, Fortune, "Patient or prisoner? Governments deploy surveillance tech to track coronavirus victims," 5 Feb. 2020 In her relatively short time in the limelight, she’s been both ambushed by fans and harassed by autograph seekers. — Braden Bjella, Teen Vogue, "Billie Eilish Just Called Out People Trying to Impersonate Her in Public," 31 Jan. 2020 Garland was harassed by some of Hollywood’s most powerful men. — Elena Nicolaou, refinery29.com, "What Made Judy Garland’s Life So Tragic," 29 Jan. 2020 The longer video revealed that the students had seemingly been harassed by a group of Black Hebrew Israelite protesters, which had not been seen in the original viral clip. — Mike Brest, Washington Examiner, "Bus carrying Covington Catholic students back from DC involved in fatal crash," 25 Jan. 2020 In the years after the assault, Ms. Sciorra said, Mr. Weinstein continued to harass her. — Jan Ransom, New York Times, "Annabella Sciorra Testifies in Harvey Weinstein Trial: ‘He Raped Me’," 23 Jan. 2020 Whelan has reported that the guards at the prison have threatened, abused and harassed him. — Kristen Jordan Shamus, Freep.com, "Paul Whelan and family continue to fight a year after he's accused of spying in Russia," 22 Jan. 2020 In one survey, nearly half of female medical students reported being harassed by faculty or staff. — Megan Thielking, STAT, "At Time’s Up Healthcare, a new leader seeks inclusiveness to boost ‘a mission and a movement’," 16 Dec. 2019 Others had their long hair cut by force or were harassed by other citizens. — The Economist, "Flower power A new documentary chronicles the secret history of Soviet hippies," 18 Nov. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'harass.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

11 Feb 2020

Cite this Entry

“Harass.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/harass. Accessed 19 Feb. 2020.

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More Definitions for harass

harass

verb

English Language Learners Definition of harass

: to annoy or bother (someone) in a constant or repeated way

: to make repeated attacks against (an enemy)

See the full definition for harass in the English Language Learners Dictionary

harass

ha·rass | \ hə-ˈras

, ˈher-əs \

harassed; harassing

Kids Definition of harass

1 : to annoy again and again

2 : to make repeated attacks against an enemy

harass

transitive verb

ha·rass | \ hə-ˈras, ˈhar-əs

\

Legal Definition of harass

: to subject persistently and wrongfully to annoying, offensive, or troubling behavior a collection agency harassing a debtor — see also sexual harassment

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