Synonyms

harass

American

[huh-ras, har-uhs] / həˈræs, ˈhær əs /

verb (used with object)

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

Apparently a parent has been harassing the school principal with late-night phone calls.
to subject to unwelcome sexual advances.

I was harassed by my boss many years ago.
to trouble by repeated attacks, incursions, etc., as in war or hostilities; harry; raid.

Synonyms:

beset, besiege

harass British

/ ˈhærəs, həˈræs /

verb

(tr) to trouble, torment, or confuse by continual persistent attacks, questions, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Pronunciation

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

Synonym Usage

See worry.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of harass

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

Explanation

When you harass someone, you bother them to the point of exhaustion. It’s not that each attack is so severe, it’s the constant small attacks that wear someone out. If you harass your boss for a raise, you might end up getting fired instead! Harass probably comes from the Old French word harer meaning "to set a dog on." Think of someone being hounded when you use this word. You can harass your parents with questions or requests, but in turn, they can also harass you to clean your room! While this is annoying, it's much worse if you are harassed in the sense of being verbally abused. The bully at school who harasses some poor kid will be subject to disciplinary action if a complaint is filed.

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The two brothers appeared in court on Wednesday to face charges of using a carriage service to harass or offend.

From BBC • May 21, 2026

But the Revolutionary Guard still has large numbers of ships designed to harass vessels in the confined waterways of the Persian Gulf and the strait, which at its narrowest is only about 20 miles wide.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

In the complaint, Seitz alleged that Austin, Hernandez and a third man began to bother and harass him outside after the bar closed, “including by repeatedly reaching for the sunglasses resting on” his head.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2026

In its annual threat assessment last year, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation said "multiple foreign regimes" attempt to monitor, harass and intimidate Australians and Australian residents.

From Barron's • Feb. 19, 2026

“Go ahead as rapidly as possible with the commercial development, for I am afraid that the General Electric Company and others will be entering the field and harass our progress.”

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023