Definition of harry
harried
;harrying
transitive verb
1 : to make a pillaging or destructive raid on : assault
2 : to force to move along by harassing harrying the terrified horses down out of the mountains — R. A. Sokolov
3 : to torment by or as if by constant attack
Indulge Your Inner Word Nerd
harry was our Word of the Day on 01/25/2016. Hear the podcast!
Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP
Recent Examples of harry from the Web
-
Construction resumed in 2014, but has been harried by the decades-long conflict between the Turkish state and the guerilla Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
-
With 12 seconds on the shot clock and no other defender besides Allen to harry him, Bryant used up six seconds fighting Allen to the left corner of the free throw line.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'harry'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Did You Know?
Was there once a warlike man named Harry who is the source for the verb harry? One particularly belligerent Harry does come to mind: Shakespeare once described how "famine, sword, and fire" accompanied "the warlike Harry," England's King Henry the Fifth. But neither this king nor any of his namesakes are the source for the verb. Rather, harry (or a word resembling it) has been a part of English for as long as there has been anything that could be called English. It took the form hergian in Old English and harien in Middle English, passing through numerous variations before finally settling into its modern spelling. The word's Old English ancestors are related to Old High German words heriōn ("to lay waste") and heri ("army").
Origin and Etymology of harry
Middle English harien, from Old English hergian; akin to Old High German heriōn to lay waste, heri army, Greek koiranos ruler
Synonym Discussion of harry
HARRY Defined for Kids
Learn More about harry
-
See words that rhyme with harry Spanish Central: Translation of harry Nglish: Translation of harry for Spanish speakers
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up harry? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!