harry

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 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 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 Bullets, bombs and electronic warfare harry both man and machine. Colin Demarest, Axios, 5 Mar. 2025 Ukrainian short-range drones are harrying Russian forces on the devastated battlefields while long-range strike craft hit targets closer to home. David Brennan, ABC News, 26 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for harry
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harry
Verb
  • The Vandals sacked Rome in 455 — after Pope Leo cut a deal to prevent the city from being burned to the ground.
    Bill Speros, Boston Herald, 12 June 2025
  • Tudor had been appointed as the club’s caretaker manager after Thiago Motta was sacked in March following two heavy defeats against Fiorentina and Atalanta.
    Emmet Gates, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
Verb
  • In January, Native Americans alleged that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were harassing tribal members.
    Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2025
  • But with that brief wave of hope came new footage on Twitter every night of the NYPD acting like bad cops out of a Harvey Keitel flick: cops harassing peaceful crowds, cops kettling activists, cops literally driving a car into a crowd of protestors.
    Maris Kreizman, Rolling Stone, 24 June 2025
Verb
  • While pestilence crept over the walls of cities and the countryside fell into desolation—many foreign conquerors of Europe knew how to fight and plunder but not to plow or sow—the monks preserved words.
    Bernd Roeck June 16, Literary Hub, 16 June 2025
  • In the ears of Hollywood traditionalists, A.I. enthusiasts can morph into cartoon pirates arriving to plunder.
    Brooks Barnes, New York Times, 21 May 2025
Verb
  • After the period, the TNT crew scolded Luostarinen for not keeping his stick on the ice.
    Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 15 June 2025
  • The estranged wife of actor Scott Wolf was seemingly detained by law enforcement during an Instagram livestream, during which she can be heard scolding officers and alleging she was abused.
    Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 13 June 2025
Verb
  • On Wednesday, aid reached Gaza’s main city for the first time since March after deliveries were plagued by looting and coordination issues between aid agencies and the Israeli military.
    Julia Frankel, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2025
  • The statues, stolen from Benin City in modern-day Nigeria, were looted by British troops at the end of the 19th century and sold on to museums across Europe.
    Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 23 June 2025
Verb
  • Rarely has a wide release been more savaged by critics, sitting at 0 percent on Rotten Tomatoes for a long time.
    Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 13 June 2025
  • The show savages comedic divas, lascivious network executives, Vegas casino moguls, quirky denizens of writers’ rooms and every flavor of personal assistant imaginable.
    Howard Homonoff, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
Verb
  • But the conflict has only escalated, with Russia’s launching some of its most extensive strikes in a war that has claimed hundreds of thousands of casualties, and Ukraine’s carrying out the audacious Operation Spiderweb drone attack, which damaged or destroyed strategic aircraft inside Russia.
    Adam Rasmi, Time, 20 June 2025
  • To destroy the site, an attack would have to come in waves, with bombers releasing one after another down the same hole.
    Samuel Granados, New York Times, 20 June 2025
Verb
  • In its early days, it was reviled by some critics as a jarring intrusion on the genteel Georgian symmetry of the square.
    Mark Landler, New York Times, 7 June 2025
  • Robert Irsay was reviled in Baltimore following the move.
    Michael Marot, Chicago Tribune, 22 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Harry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harry. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

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