1
: a heated often protracted argument : wrangle
embroiling myself in a long, exasperating hassle with masons—
S. J. Perelman
S. J. Perelman2
: a violent skirmish : fight
3
a
: a state of confusion : turmoil
all hassle and hurly-burly—Ellery Queen
Ellery Queen
b
: an annoying or troublesome concern
avoid the hassle of filling out paperwork
flight delays and other hassles of holiday travel
too much of a hassle to bother with
Examples of hassle in a Sentence
Noun
All this paperwork is a hassle.
They've had to deal with flight delays and all of the other hassles of holiday travel.
He got into a hassle with his landlord.
Verb
Other kids were always hassling her because she was overweight.
I'm sick of being hassled by telemarketers.
I don't have time to hassle with you about this! Just do what I tell you to do!
Recent Examples on the Web
Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 11 Oct. 2025
Flu shots typically go into the upper arm (specifically the deltoid muscle), which means having a removable layer or avoiding the sweaters altogether might prevent some hassle.
—Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2025
Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 26 Sep. 2025
The mall’s starkly empty parking lot has become a popular place for children to ride their bikes, though Braden said that police sometimes hassle riders.
—Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hassle
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Noun
Just book a ticket on the Northstar commuter rail, which provides regular service from Minneapolis to Anoka, with a journey time of about 30 minutes (roughly the same as driving, minus the hassle).
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 11 Oct. 2025
Flu shots typically go into the upper arm (specifically the deltoid muscle), which means having a removable layer or avoiding the sweaters altogether might prevent some hassle.
—Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2025
Verb
Then there is the typically placid McIlroy’s emotional volatility in the Ryder Cup, which almost invites his audience to hassle him.
—Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 26 Sep. 2025
The mall’s starkly empty parking lot has become a popular place for children to ride their bikes, though Braden said that police sometimes hassle riders.
—Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hassle
Cite this Entry
“Hassle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hassle. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hassle
1 of 2 verb
has·sle
ˈhas-əl 
hassled; hassling
-(ə-)liŋ
1
: argue sense 2, dispute
hassled with the umpire
2
: to annoy continuously : harass
hassle
2 of 2 nounLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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