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
Kayla Moeller, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
The guard then went to Ada’s table and — according to the girl’s parents — spoke to Ada and her mother aggressively about disrespecting and harassing people.
—Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 26 Mar. 2026
That might mean holding religious lectures or harassing those who flout social restrictions.
—Sarah El Deeb, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026
As part of his guilty plea, Daley admitted to placing multiple calls to a work line used by a member of Thompson’s family in the days after he was killed and leaving messages with threatening and harassing language.
—ABC News, 19 Mar. 2026
Randolph filed a restraining order alleging that Underwood placed a tracking device on her car, sent harassing messages from burner phones and appeared at her home uninvited.
—Peter White, Deadline, 19 Mar. 2026
An internet troll started harassing Corey’s friends and making false claims about her son, prompting a police intervention.
—Carolyn Stein, Chicago Tribune, 14 Mar. 2026
The Ravens badly needed an edge rusher who was capable of consistently making game-changing plays and harassing the opposing quarterback, and Hendrickson has been one of the best in the NFL in recent years.
—Dianna Russini, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
The two attorneys raised their voices at each other, and Gutchess accused Cortiñas of harassing the witness.
—Linda Robertson, Miami Herald, 11 Mar. 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
Nordquist says the suspect has been harassing her and other residents for weeks.
—Kayla Moeller, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
The guard then went to Ada’s table and — according to the girl’s parents — spoke to Ada and her mother aggressively about disrespecting and harassing people.
—Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 26 Mar. 2026
That might mean holding religious lectures or harassing those who flout social restrictions.
—Sarah El Deeb, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026
As part of his guilty plea, Daley admitted to placing multiple calls to a work line used by a member of Thompson’s family in the days after he was killed and leaving messages with threatening and harassing language.
—ABC News, 19 Mar. 2026
Randolph filed a restraining order alleging that Underwood placed a tracking device on her car, sent harassing messages from burner phones and appeared at her home uninvited.
—Peter White, Deadline, 19 Mar. 2026
An internet troll started harassing Corey’s friends and making false claims about her son, prompting a police intervention.
—Carolyn Stein, Chicago Tribune, 14 Mar. 2026
The Ravens badly needed an edge rusher who was capable of consistently making game-changing plays and harassing the opposing quarterback, and Hendrickson has been one of the best in the NFL in recent years.
—Dianna Russini, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
The two attorneys raised their voices at each other, and Gutchess accused Cortiñas of harassing the witness.
—Linda Robertson, Miami Herald, 11 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harassing
Adjective
-
The idea of frightening children into basic courtesy scares Miss Manners.—
Judith Martin,
Sun Sentinel,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Facing the future may mean confronting difficult questions and frightening scenarios.—
Kat McGowan,
NPR,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Each individual increase feels tolerable – annoying, maybe, but not catastrophic.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
29 Mar. 2026
-
The consequences of all this information range from mildly annoying to very serious.—
Larry Magid,
Mercury News,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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An unknown assailant shoots up the Vances' house during a Shabbat meal, before killing himself with a cyanide cigarette.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The measure passed, 363–117, killing the death penalty in France.—
Lauren Collins,
New Yorker,
1 Apr. 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
-
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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Other tips include riding defensively around cars, using front and rear lights, wearing reflective vests in the dark, and avoiding biking under the influence of drugs or alcohol.—
Sarah Raza,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Not if the other team comes out wearing Dallas sweaters.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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In previous interviews with USA TODAY, experts said the FCC's action could have a chilling effect on television broadcasters’ speech.—
BrieAnna J. Frank,
USA Today,
26 Mar. 2026
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The perils of late-stage capitalism and the swerve away from Antihero TV toward toxic yuri make Galsworthy’s chilling protagonist Soames Forsyte quite difficult to root for, really.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
23 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Soon a tunnel between the ships, then a meeting, with a friendly, inquisitive alien who looks like a sort of craggy spider/crab, whom Grace dubs Rocky.—
Katie Walsh,
Twin Cities,
21 Mar. 2026
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The inquisitive student was not a student at all, but a woman from Philadelphia named Bonnie Raines.—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN Money,
20 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Harassing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harassing. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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