harass

[ huh-ras, har-uhs ]

verb (used with object)

1. to disturb or bother persistently; torment, as with troubles or cares; pester:

   He stays up late, harassed with doubt and anxiety.

   Synonyms: annoy, hector, plague, vex, badger

2. to intimidate or coerce, as with persistent demands or threats:

   Apparently a parent has been harassing the school principal with late-night phone calls.

3. to subject to unwelcome sexual advances:

   I was harassed by my boss many years ago.

4. to trouble by repeated attacks, incursions, etc., as in war or hostilities; harry; raid.

   Synonyms: beset, besiege

harass

/ ˈhærəs; həˈræs /

verb

1. tr to trouble, torment, or confuse by continual persistent attacks, questions, etc

Pronunciation Note

harass , a 17th-century borrowing from French, has traditionally been pronounced in English as [har, -, uh, s], with stress on the first syllable. A newer pronunciation, [h, uh, -, ras], has developed in North American (but not British) English and has become the more common one in the U.S., especially among younger speakers.

Derived Forms

• ˈharassing, adjectivenoun
• ˈharassment, noun
• ˈharassed, adjective

Other Words From

• ha·rassa·ble adjective
• ha·rasser noun
• ha·rassing·ly adverb
• ha·rassment noun
• over·harass verb (used with object)
• un·ha·rassed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of harass¹

First recorded in 1610–20; from French, Middle French harasser “to harry, harass,” verbal derivative of harace, harache (in phrase courre a la harace “pursue”), equivalent to hare “cry used to urge dogs on” (from Frankish hara (unattested) “here, from this side”; compare Old High German hera, Middle Dutch hare ) + -asse augmentative or pejorative suffix, from Latin -ācea

Word History and Origins

Origin of harass¹

C17: from French harasser, variant of Old French harer to set a dog on, of Germanic origin; compare Old High German harēn to cry out

Synonym Study

See worry.

Example Sentences

Even those who have papers face being harassed, and now many who made temporary homes in Turkey want to leave - legally if possible - but, where necessary, they use people smugglers.

From BBC

It's also taking place in the West Bank, where Israel has built dozens of illegal settlements and Palestinians are routinely arrested, harassed or evicted from their homes at gunpoint.

From Salon

Last year, she filed suit against the church, seeking to end what she said were the “mob-style tactics” it had used to harass and defame her.

From New York Times

She said nothing “harassing or improper” had occurred, and all three jurors volunteered their cellphone numbers when contacted.

From Los Angeles Times

On that fateful first day, scammers posing as officials from India’s telecom regulator called Lucknow-based Dr Tandon, claiming her number would be disconnected due to “22 complaints” of harassing messages sent from it.

From BBC

Related Words

• burn
• hassle
• heckle
• hound
• intimidate
• persecute
• pester
• raid
• tease
• torment