Definition of harass
transitive verb
1a : exhaust, fatigue I have been harassed with the toil of verse — William Wordsworthb (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
nounPeople Are Reading
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 of harass from the Web
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General Olenga is accused of permitting numerous human rights abuses by the country’s Republican Guard soldiers, including harassing political opponents and carrying out arbitrary arrests and executions.
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Curry and Klay Thompson shooting from deep, Green making plays and playing defense, JaVale McGee protecting the rim, Iguodala harassing scorers, and Durant enhancing all of the above with his all-around skills and exceptional scoring ability.
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This isn't the first time a female reporter has been harassed in a similar way by a male athlete.
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President Donald Trump is condemning the fatal stabbing of two good Samaritans trying to aid two young Muslim women as an avowed white supremacist harassed them in Portland, Oregon.
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One of the two girls being harassed has also spoken publicly.
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Freelance photographer Tim Tai and videographer Mark Schierbecker are harassed by student supporters and university staff supporters of the #ConcernedStudent1950 movement in November 2015.
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Floyd and Brown both face a misdemeanor charge of harassing wildlife.
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Last year, a study from the Data & Society Research Institute and the Center for Innovative Public Health Research found that nearly half of Internet users had been harassed online.
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.
Origin and Etymology of harass
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
Synonym Discussion of harass
HARASS Defined for English Language Learners
harass
playDefinition of harass for English Language Learners
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: to annoy or bother (someone) in a constant or repeated way
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: to make repeated attacks against (an enemy)
HARASS Defined for Kids
harass
playDefinition of harass for Students
harassed
;harassing
1 : to annoy again and again
2 : to make repeated attacks against an enemy
harassment
\-mənt\ nounLaw Dictionary
harass
playLegal Definition of harass
: to subject persistently and wrongfully to annoying, offensive, or troubling behavior a collection agency harassing a debtor — see also sexual harassment
harasser
nounharassment
nounOrigin and Etymology of harass
Middle French harasser to exhaust, fatigue, from harer to set a dog on, from Old French hare, interjection used to incite dogs
Learn More about harass
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See words that rhyme with harass Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for harass Spanish Central: Translation of harass Nglish: Translation of harass for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of harass for Arabic speakers
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