1
as in frightening
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2
as in annoying
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as in killing
to use up all the physical energy of
had been visibly harassed by the demands of the presidency
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Recent Examples of harassing
Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 1 Jan. 2026
The line is crossed when someone’s conduct at work becomes disrespectful, harassing, intimidating, discriminatory, or disruptive to the team.
—Johnny C. Taylor Jr, USA Today, 30 Dec. 2025
Chicago Tribune, 24 May 2026
According to the lawsuit, university officials are accused of harassing Josiah Walker, a Black Muslim student, who participated in protests between 2023 and 2024 following the Israel-Hamas war.
—Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 23 May 2026
In an official rebuke of a private citizen, the Riverside City Council accused one of its residents of harassing local employees through phone calls, emails and social media posts.
—Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2026
Prior to his loss, Jelincic was accused of harassing women who worked for CalPERS and encouraged to drop out of the race by several state officials.
—William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 19 May 2026
In 2022, Rydman found himself at the center of a police probe when a 17-year-old girl reported that a politician had been harassing girls aged 14 to 17 for years, according to Sykes, citing a report in the Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat (HS).
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 19 May 2026
He was charged with first-degree terroristic threatening and harassing communications.
—Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 18 May 2026
Lytvynchuk is charged with harassing and attempting to harass an endangered Hawaiian monk seal.
—ABC News, 13 May 2026
During a motions hearing in May 2024, prosectors presented evidence of Bryant having a history of harassing and stalking young women, even breaking into their apartments, per 11 Alive.
—Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 9 May 2026
Adjective
The first complaint, in which a clerk made similar accusations of abusive and harassing conduct, was filed with the circuit court in 2022, not long after Merriam’s appointment.
—Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 1 Jan. 2026
The line is crossed when someone’s conduct at work becomes disrespectful, harassing, intimidating, discriminatory, or disruptive to the team.
—Johnny C. Taylor Jr, USA Today, 30 Dec. 2025
Verb
The people whose few belongings were being arbitrarily picked up and thrown by a crane into the trash were not harassing staff.
—Chicago Tribune, 24 May 2026
According to the lawsuit, university officials are accused of harassing Josiah Walker, a Black Muslim student, who participated in protests between 2023 and 2024 following the Israel-Hamas war.
—Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 23 May 2026
In an official rebuke of a private citizen, the Riverside City Council accused one of its residents of harassing local employees through phone calls, emails and social media posts.
—Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 20 May 2026
Prior to his loss, Jelincic was accused of harassing women who worked for CalPERS and encouraged to drop out of the race by several state officials.
—William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 19 May 2026
In 2022, Rydman found himself at the center of a police probe when a 17-year-old girl reported that a politician had been harassing girls aged 14 to 17 for years, according to Sykes, citing a report in the Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat (HS).
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 19 May 2026
He was charged with first-degree terroristic threatening and harassing communications.
—Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 18 May 2026
Lytvynchuk is charged with harassing and attempting to harass an endangered Hawaiian monk seal.
—ABC News, 13 May 2026
During a motions hearing in May 2024, prosectors presented evidence of Bryant having a history of harassing and stalking young women, even breaking into their apartments, per 11 Alive.
—Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 9 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harassing
Adjective
-
Eidinger is perfect for the role, and his escalating temper tantrums — almost camp at first, with delicious echoes of Christoph Waltz’s Hans Landa — become frightening in their intensity.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
18 May 2026
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But at Medley Club, residents never lost power during the entire frightening ordeal.—
Jeffrey Steele,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Adjective
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Sixty-three percent of Glamour readers polled think lurking is annoying and also kind of creepy.—
Sam Reed,
Glamour,
18 May 2026
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For instance, many partners have small gripes or annoyances with habits that are annoying at worst, but far from an outright red flag — like a partner that chews somewhat loudly, leaves cabinet doors open or hums constantly while working.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
Is God Is is a story about twin sisters Racine (Kara Young) and Anaia (Mallori Johnson), tasked with killing their abusive, absentee father at the request of their mother.—
Mya Abraham,
VIBE.com,
19 May 2026
-
Most of the strikes occur in the summer, killing 20 people each year, according to the NWS.—
STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
19 May 2026
Adjective
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For example, Americans living during World War II developed persecutory delusions involving Germans, while those living during the Cold War focused on communists.—
Alaina Vandervoort Burns,
The Conversation,
17 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Structured as entries in Emily’s field journal, the novel lays out her aims, her curmudgeonly nature and her pestiferous relationship with one Wendell Bambleby — a charismatic fellow researcher and sometime rival who Emily suspects is a fairy himself.—
Amal El-Mohtar,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2023
-
The whole event was lousy with pestiferous Bible-banging.—
Charles P. Pierce,
Esquire,
12 Dec. 2017
Verb
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Sometimes foot pain really does come down to wearing completely flat sandals on repeat, and this pair feels like a smarter swap.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
25 May 2026
-
Vargas plans on wearing sunglasses Sunday.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2026
Adjective
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One year before his television empire began with Yellowstone, Taylor Sheridan wrote and directed this absorbing neo-Western mystery about the chilling death of an 18-year-old Native American young woman.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 May 2026
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The coroner’s report is chilling, listing multiple factors besides cardiac arrest that figured in her death.—
Christopher Bonanos,
Curbed,
22 May 2026
Adjective
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Elsa’s inquisitive presence almost instantly irritates Amalia, as the latter refuses to simply acquiesce to her relentless quizzing.—
Lé Baltar,
IndieWire,
16 May 2026
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The two share an inquisitive and child-like energy, turning heavy conversations about growing up broke, the solitude of incarceration, and desperate cries for attention, into something remarkably light.—
Malina Saval,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Harassing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harassing. Accessed 25 May. 2026.
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