harass

verb

ha·​rass hə-ˈras  ˈher-əs 

ˈha-rəs

harassed; harassing; harasses

transitive verb

1

a

: 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

harasser noun

harassment

hə-ˈras-mənt  ˈher-əs- 

ˈha-rəs-

noun

Synonyms

• break
• burn out
• bust
• do in
• do up
• drain
• exhaust
• fag
• fatigue
• frazzle
• kill
• knock out
• outwear
• tire
• tucker (out)
• wash out
• wear
• wear out
• weary

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 dismissal came on the heels of a filing in the case by lawyers for L.A. County that alleged Villanueva was harassing Sheriff Robert Luna and members of the Board of Supervisors by trying to call them as witnesses at a potential civil trial. —Connor Sheets, Los Angeles Times, 16 May 2025

The agency also secured a $300,000 settlement for a mother, daughter and the daughter’s boyfriend in Oklahoma who were allegedly harassed and assaulted by neighbors because the boyfriend was Black, to which the landlord responded by trying to evict the mother. —Jesse Coburn, ProPublica, 15 May 2025

This attack comes amid ongoing tensions between Lanez and Megan Thee Stallion, with recent allegations that Lanez has been harassing her from prison through intermediaries. —Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 May 2025

County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer’s $1 billion new tax proposal would create new agencies intended to regulate and harass small businesses in the county. —John McCann, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 May 2025

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

1612, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for harass

• alas
• amass
• bromegrass
• bypass
• chagas
• crabgrass
• crevasse
• eelgrass
• eyeglass
• groundmass
• impasse
• jackass

Kids Definition

harass

verb

ha·​rass hə-ˈras  ˈhar-əs 

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

-mənt 

noun

Legal Definition

harass

transitive verb

ha·​rass hə-ˈras, ˈhar-əs 

: 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