harass

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb harass contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of harass are annoy, harry, pester, plague, tease, and worry. While all these words mean "to disturb or irritate by persistent acts," harass implies petty persecutions or burdensome demands that exhaust one's nervous or mental power.

harassed on all sides by creditors

Where would annoy be a reasonable alternative to harass?

While in some cases nearly identical to harass, annoy implies disturbing one's composure or peace of mind by intrusion, interference, or petty attacks.

you're doing that just to annoy me

When could harry be used to replace harass?

The words harry and harass are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, harry may imply heavy oppression or maltreatment.

the strikers had been harried by thugs

When might pester be a better fit than harass?

In some situations, the words pester and harass are roughly equivalent. However, pester stresses the repetition of petty attacks.

constantly pestered with trivial complaints

When is it sensible to use plague instead of harass?

The words plague and harass can be used in similar contexts, but plague implies a painful and persistent affliction.

plagued all her life by poverty

When can tease be used instead of harass?

While the synonyms tease and harass are close in meaning, tease suggests an attempt to break down one's resistance or rouse to wrath.

children teased the dog

When would worry be a good substitute for harass?

Although the words worry and harass have much in common, 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 harass Several persons of interest were cleared but faced threats from the public, Mason said, asking for them not to be harassed. Lauren De Young, AZCentral.com, 11 Sep. 2025 Three teenagers, who the police say are those in the photo, were allegedly harassing customers in the restaurant and then attempted to open the cash register when an employee stepped away. Flint McColgan, Boston Herald, 11 Sep. 2025 The Athletic released an investigation of Illitch Sports and Entertainment, the owner of the Tigers and Detroit Red Wings, and found at least eight men employed by the Tigers who have been accused of harassing women over the last three years. Christian Romo, Freep.com, 11 Sep. 2025 Poor Harriet, a gallery assistant who has been harassed since the pilot, gets the brunt of Laura’s frustration. Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for harass
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harass
Verb
  • Utah police on Friday arrested Tyler Robinson for allegedly killing right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, although his potential motive remains hazy.
    Claire Cameron, semafor.com, 14 Sep. 2025
  • Key Background Zarutska, a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee, was killed in an unprovoked attack on a commuter rail in Charlotte, North Carolina, in August.
    Zachary Folk, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The photo released shows what appears to be a man wearing a largely black outfit with an American flag on his shirt, a black cap, and black sunglasses.
    Connor Greene, Time, 12 Sep. 2025
  • Posing next to Colman Domingo and Salma Hayek Pinault (who wore an elegant black Balenciaga suit dress), Moore’s glitzy look shone.
    Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The Texans were up 28-21, and Keller had exhausted all of its timeouts.
    Jordan Neal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Sep. 2025
  • Lula was imprisoned in 2018, but he was released in November 2019 after the Supreme Court ruled that defendants can’t be jailed before exhausting appeal options.
    Chad de Guzman, Time, 12 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Then eventually, the fish starts to tire out.
    Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
  • So people shouldn’t swim against the current, which puts them at risk of tiring out.
    Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 16 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Harass.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harass. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on harass

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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