harry

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb harry contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of harry are annoy, harass, pester, plague, tease, and worry. While all these words mean "to disturb or irritate by persistent acts," harry may imply heavy oppression or maltreatment.

the strikers had been harried by thugs

When can annoy be used instead of harry?

The words annoy and harry are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, annoy implies disturbing one's composure or peace of mind by intrusion, interference, or petty attacks.

you're doing that just to annoy me

Where would harass be a reasonable alternative to harry?

While the synonyms harass and harry are close in meaning, harass implies petty persecutions or burdensome demands that exhaust one's nervous or mental power.

harassed on all sides by creditors

When might pester be a better fit than harry?

The words pester and harry can be used in similar contexts, but pester stresses the repetition of petty attacks.

constantly pestered with trivial complaints

When would plague be a good substitute for harry?

The synonyms plague and harry are sometimes interchangeable, but plague implies a painful and persistent affliction.

plagued all her life by poverty

When is it sensible to use tease instead of harry?

While in some cases nearly identical to harry, tease suggests an attempt to break down one's resistance or rouse to wrath.

children teased the dog

In what contexts can worry take the place of harry?

The meanings of worry and harry largely overlap; however, worry implies an incessant goading or attacking that drives one to desperation.

pursued a policy of worrying the enemy

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of harry For newbies: Orphaned after the death of their parents, 6-year-old Lilo (Maia Kealoha), ostracized at school, is being raised by her devoted but harried teenage sister Nani (Sydney Agudong), nearing the age of adult guardianship. Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 21 May 2025 These broken objects, and others like them, feed into my general sense of being harried, overburdened, and middle-aged. Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 6 May 2025 Bullets, bombs and electronic warfare harry both man and machine. Colin Demarest, Axios, 5 Mar. 2025 Here’s how the individual snaps were divided: Quarterback: Brock Purdy 59, Joshua Dobbs 5 One of the pregame storylines was how harried Purdy might be behind a makeshift offensive line. Matt Barrows, The Athletic, 31 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for harry
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harry
Verb
  • Despite regaining their number one world ranking in August, the Spanish federation sacked their women’s team head coach Montse Tomé immediately after the UEFA women’s Euro.
    Asif Burhan, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
  • Meanwhile, Morgan's hopes of pulling off her surprise for Uncle Tommy get sacked.
    Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Abusers frequently assert financial control by interfering with their partners’ ability to work, including stalking or harassing at their worksite.
    Michelle Travis, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
  • And in Garcia’s long interception return, Benitez was harassed by the defense, flushed out of the pocket and forced to throw off balance.
    John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • While plundering a dungeon lair and stealing artifacts from a museum both have heist elements to them, Skullduggery looks into the other intrigues of adventures in urban environments.
    Rob Wieland, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
  • The towns of Harrisonville, Butler and Osceola were plundered during Bleeding Kansas.
    Quentin Corpuel, Kansas City Star, 6 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Shipp is tasked with scolding her father and delivering leaden exposition.
    Esther Zuckerman, IndieWire, 11 Sep. 2025
  • In Part 2, viewers see Morticia scold her children for lying to her, yet Morticia is keeping secrets from Wednesday about her past and family.
    Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Mobs retaliated by torching buildings, looting banks and shops, and attacking politicians in their homes.
    Omkar Khandekar, NPR, 20 Sep. 2025
  • Israel blames Hamas for the scale of the destruction in Gaza, saying the group hides behind civilians, uses civil infrastructure for military purposes, and loots humanitarian aid intended for ordinary Gazans.
    Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Not bad for a film that critics savaged.
    David Bloom, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2025
  • Somewhere in the not-too-distant future, two young friends — or perhaps cuddle buddies or lovers — accomplish missions throughout an underground metropolis savaged by capitalism to make ever-elusive rent, while facing flaky clients, bandits and low credit scores.
    H. Jiahong Pan, Twin Cities, 1 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Some are value-destroying black holes; others are relentless value creators.
    Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
  • The first instance of NATO nations downing drones came last week, when Polish and Dutch fighters destroyed three Russian drones over Poland.
    David Brennan, ABC News, 14 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Strapped for resources and now actively reviled and threatened by their government, theaters and producers are pouncing on opportunities to lay out a little less money or to spend on one big name in the hopes of clawing their way out of the red.
    Sara Holdren, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2025
  • In southern Gaza, the Abu Shabab militia is widely reviled, and Abu Shabab’s own family has disassociated itself from him and called for his death.
    Leila Seurat, Foreign Affairs, 26 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Harry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harry. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.

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