harassing 1 of 2

adjective

1
as in frightening

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2
as in annoying

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harassing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of harass
as in killing
to use up all the physical energy of had been visibly harassed by the demands of the presidency

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 harassing
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
Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia all condemned Iran for harassing their ships. — Jim Edwards, Fortune, 8 July 2026 In June, police filed a domestic incident report in which Armel was accused of harassing his mother, cops said. — Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 8 July 2026 The update comes at a time when Meta is facing criticism online regarding reported plans to add facial recognition to its glasses, as well as reports of bad actors harassing young women using its devices. — Victoria Song, The Verge, 7 July 2026 Two months later, Zaayer moved into a home across the street and continued harassing Shawna and David, as well as their other family members who lived nearby. — Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026 On Tuesday night, after harassing them the night before at their team hotel, Mexico sent Ecuador packing in a Round of 32 match at Mexico City Stadium. — Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026 Smid also pressed Garcia on why, during the initial investigation, Garcia chose not to attempt to secure recordings of King’s harassing behavior. — Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 July 2026 Superior Court Judge Alex Manning issued the order June 15 prohibiting the county’s top administrator from getting close to Amit Mehrotra, a neighbor in the Ellard subdivision in Roswell, and from harassing or intimidating Mehrotra or his family. — Reed Williams, AJC.com, 1 July 2026 Lively accused Baldoni in December 2024 of harassing her on the set of It Ends With Us and subsequently plotting a smear campaign against her. — Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 30 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harassing
  1. frightening
  2. annoying
  3. killing
  4. persecutory
  5. pestiferous
  6. wearing
  7. chilling
  8. inquisitive
Adjective
  • However, changing the Social Security formula to a means-testing base, and applying it immediately to all existing Social Security recipients, is a frightening idea.
    — U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 July 2026
  • Panettiere's pregnancy was marked by a series of frightening health scares.
    — Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 20 July 2026
Definition of frightening
Adjective
  • The Moon shifts our mood toward fairness and cooperation, making compromise less annoying than usual.
    — Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 July 2026
  • After all, if my brothers could be annoying, affectionate, and self-aggrandizing all at once, why couldn’t a man in the history books?
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 July 2026
Definition of annoying
Verb
  • The king successfully fought a hundred men and emerged victorious, but not before killing Antinous in Sinon’s name.
    — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 18 July 2026
  • He was convicted of killing his former girlfriend’s parents four decades ago in Pasco County.
    — Jim Turner, Sun Sentinel, 18 July 2026
Definition of killing
Adjective
  • 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
Definition of persecutory
Adjective
  • After the Thirty Years’ War (1618-48), the Dutch were probably eager for reminders of ordinary domestic life, even pestiferous ones, and for images of quiet and tenderness.
    — Willard Spiegelman, WSJ, 18 Aug. 2017
  • Disease relies on a variety of pestiferous vectors for the transmission of infective bacteria.
    — Rebecca Kreston, Discover Magazine, 31 May 2016
Definition of pestiferous
Verb
  • In a clearing in the forest, his younger selves sit at a long table with the abbott, who is wearing the final boss of season three’s awful wigs.
    — Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 20 July 2026
  • Javier Bardem, wearing a Spain replica shirt with Borja Iglesias’ name and No 26 on the back, was shown celebrating in the stands.
    — Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 20 July 2026
Definition of wearing
Adjective
  • That chilling effect, of course, is precisely what Trump is after.
    — Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 18 July 2026
  • Republican officials are treating this chilling rant as little more than an annoying distraction.
    — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 17 July 2026
Definition of chilling
Adjective
  • Anyone who’s sat next to a kid (or an inquisitive adult) firing off nonstop questions knows how quickly focus disappears.
    — Lauren Schuster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 July 2026
  • Her eyes wide and gaze inquisitive, Laura takes in everything around her.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 9 July 2026
Definition of inquisitive

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Cite this Entry

“Harassing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harassing. Accessed 22 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on harassing

Nglish: Translation of harassing for Spanish Speakers

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