harass

verb

ha·​rass hə-ˈras How to pronounce harass (audio) ˈher-əs How to pronounce harass (audio)
ˈha-rəs
harassed; harassing; harasses

transitive verb

1
a
: exhaust, fatigue
I have been harassed with the toil of verseWilliam 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 noun
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In January, Native Americans alleged that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were harassing tribal members. Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2025 Federal authorities have called Iran the world's largest state sponsor of terror, and the FBI says the Iranian government has both imprisoned Americans within its territory on unsubstantiated charges and harassed and even killed dissidents in exile. Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 24 June 2025 But with that brief wave of hope came new footage on Twitter every night of the NYPD acting like bad cops out of a Harvey Keitel flick: cops harassing peaceful crowds, cops kettling activists, cops literally driving a car into a crowd of protestors. Maris Kreizman, Rolling Stone, 24 June 2025 Almost daily, the news has stories and videos of people being robbed or beaten in Baltimore, shot and killed, or simply being harassed. Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 23 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for harass

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of harass was in 1612

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Harass.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/harass. Accessed 29 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

harass

verb
ha·​rass hə-ˈras How to pronounce harass (audio) ˈhar-əs How to pronounce harass (audio)
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 noun

Legal Definition

harass

transitive verb
: 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

More from Merriam-Webster on harass

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!