harry

verb har·ry \ ˈher-ē , ˈha-rē \

Updated on: 17 May 2018

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

See harry defined for kids

harry was our Word of the Day on 01/25/2016. Hear the podcast!

Recent Examples of harry from the Web

Zanka and Schindler prostrated themselves before every shot; Depoitre and Mooy harried for every ball; Jonas Lossl made one of the saves of the season.

— SI.com, "Huddersfield Town Keep the Magic Alive in a League of Big Spenders and Heavy Hitters," 10 May 2018
There's Jason Bateman as Michael Bluth, looking harried as usual, and David Cross is back as Tobias Fünke, yet again in Blue Man Group-style makeup.

— lisa respers france, CNN, "A sneak peek at 'Arrested Development' season 5," 8 May 2018
He was dogged in his defending of Farrell, harrying him around the court.

— jeff greer, The Courier-Journal, "Louisville basketball snaps losing streak at Notre Dame with double OT win," 16 Jan. 2018
The Greyhounds harried North into 12-of-38 shooting (32 percent), including 2-of-17 from 3-point range.

— lewis bagley, Indianapolis Star, "Carmel slows down Keion Brooks, Fort Wayne North, punch ticket to semistate," 10 Mar. 2018
Mehsud’s fellow Pushtuns, who say the police have been harrying them for years, held protest marches.

— The Economist, "Crime and justiceIn some countries, killer cops are celebrated," 8 Mar. 2018
The fullcourt pressure was frenetic at times, harrying Pittsburgh's ball-handlers into panicked decisions.

— jeff greer, The Courier-Journal, "Louisville basketball bounces back with rout of Pittsburgh in ACC opener," 2 Jan. 2018
And, on the Falcons’ last play — fourth and goal from the 2 — guess who drew the double team that loosened Bradham to chase Ryan, who, harried, threw high to Julio Jones?

— marcus hayes, Philly.com, "Jaguars' Calais Campbell tells Eagles' Howie Roseman to pay Brandon Graham | Marcus Hayes," 19 Jan. 2018
And if Taiwan were occupied, its strategic location in the East China Sea would greatly aid Beijing’s ability to harry southern Japan.

— isaac stone fish, Slate Magazine, "A war in North Korea would be devastating. But war in Taiwan could be even worse, and more likely.," 4 Oct. 2017

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Synonym Discussion of harry

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

HARRY Defined for Kids

harry

verb har·ry \ ˈher-ē \

Definition of harry for Students

harried; harrying

: harass The invaders harried the village's residents.

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See words that rhyme with harry Spanish Central: Translation of harry Nglish: Translation of harry for Spanish speakers

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harry

Definition of harry

harry was our Word of the Day on 01/25/2016. Hear the podcast!

Recent Examples of harry from the Web

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Origin and Etymology of harry

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HARRY Defined for Kids

harry

Definition of harry for Students

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harry

Definition of harry

harry was our Word of the Day on 01/25/2016. Hear the podcast!

Recent Examples of harry from the Web

Did You Know?

Origin and Etymology of harry

Synonym Discussion of harry

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HARRY Defined for Kids

harry

Definition of harry for Students

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