harass

verb

ha·rass | \ hə-ˈras

; ˈher-əs, ˈha-rəs

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

The investigation was spurred by a report from the Chronicle of Philanthropy that detailed allegations from former employees who said that a top manager at the foundation, Mari Ellen Loijens, harassed and bullied them. — Wendy Lee, San Francisco Chronicle, "Silicon Valley Community Foundation CEO put on leave amid scandal," 26 Apr. 2018 They are already banned from abusing, harassing or interfering with the employment of the victim, and they are typically not allowed to come within a certain physical distance of their victims. — Julia O'donoghue, NOLA.com, "Gun access in Louisiana could be prohibited for stalkers, hate crime perpetrators," 23 Apr. 2018 Sweeney said the man had a history of harassing and stalking his niece, who works at a night club, according to WYFF. — Jared Gilmour, charlotteobserver, "Stalker who 'couldn't accept that no means no' got shot hiding in SC woman's closet, family says | Charlotte Observer," 20 Apr. 2018 Chinese forces regularly harass ships and aircraft of other countries entering the South China Sea. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "A Chinese Military Official Suggests Ramming U.S. Warships in the South China Sea," 10 Dec. 2018 Some owners who have documented the presence of short-term renters say they have been fined thousands of dollars by the condo board for allegedly harassing and assaulting people in the building. — Josh Barbanel, WSJ, "New York City Raids Condo Building in Crackdown on Airbnb Rentals," 11 Nov. 2018 The Capital had written about Ramos pleading guilty to harassing a former high school classmate in 2011, and Ramos unsuccessfully sued the writer and the newspaper’s publisher for defamation. — Brian Witte, The Seattle Times, "Judge grants time to weigh insanity plea in newspaper attack," 20 Aug. 2018 Authorities say Jarrod Ramos, 38, made threats against the Capital Gazette, accusing the newspaper of defaming him in a column that described him pleading guilty to harassing a woman over social media. — Justin Wm. Moyer And Rachel Chason, Washington Post, "Newsrooms observe a moment of silence to honor Capital Gazette victims," 5 July 2018 Ramos sued the paper after pleading guilty to harassing a high school classmate. — David Mcfadden, Anchorage Daily News, "Suspect wrote he aimed to kill everyone at Maryland newsroom," 3 July 2018

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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Dictionary Entries near harass

Statistics for harass

Last Updated

20 May 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for harass

The first known use of harass was in 1617

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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

verb

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