HARRY Synonyms: 104 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

harry

verb

Definition of harry next

as in to sack

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Dissimilar Words

as in to harass

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Dissimilar Words

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

John McGahern was sacked from his teaching job when his novel The Dark was banned by the Irish censorship board.

— Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Gastineau accused Favre of taking a dive during a game in 2001 so that New York Giants defensive end Michael Strahan could sack him and break Gastineau’s single-season record.

— Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 23 Mar. 2026