harass
Americanverb (used with object)
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harasses,
present (3rd person singular)
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harassed,
past participle, past
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harassing
present participle
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to disturb or bother persistently; torment, as with troubles or cares; pester.
He stays up late, harassed with doubt and anxiety.
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to intimidate or coerce, as with persistent demands or threats.
Apparently a parent has been harassing the school principal with late-night phone calls.
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to subject to unwelcome sexual advances.
I was harassed by my boss many years ago.
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to trouble by repeated attacks, incursions, etc., as in war or hostilities; harry; raid.
verb
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
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harassernoun
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harassmentnoun
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overharassverb (used with object)
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harassableadjective
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harassedadjective
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harassingadjective
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unharassedadjective
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harassinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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harasssimple
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harassessimple
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have harassedperfect
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has harassedperfect
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am harassingprogressive
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are harassingprogressive
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is harassingprogressive
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have been harassingperfect progressive
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has been harassingperfect progressive
Past
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harassedsimple
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had harassedperfect
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was harassingprogressive
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were harassingprogressive
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had been harassingperfect progressive
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.
Vocabulary lists containing harass
Beowulf vocabulary
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Excerpt from "The Declaration of Independence"
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The Autobiography of Malcolm X
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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.
See Examples For:
"Actions by those who carried out this horrific act of terror meant to intimidate and harass this family are disgusting," Huckabee wrote on X on Thursday.
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
Billionaires like New York Knicks owner James L. Dolan reportedly use spying tech to harass people who criticize them.
From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026
That 1971 law declared wild horses and burros “living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West” and made it illegal to harass, capture or kill them on public land.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026
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
“Is it the part of the police department to harass me when this city is a flagrant vice capital of the civilized world?”
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
The Saudi Embassy in Washington, responding to an inquiry by the AP, said, “The notion that the Saudi government — or any of its institutions — harasses its own citizens abroad is preposterous.”
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 1, 2022
"I cannot continue supporting the existence of a coalition that harasses my community in this disgraceful manner," Ms Zoabi wrote.
From BBC ● May 19, 2022
Mr. West harasses Mr. Davidson on social media.
From New York Times ● Feb. 15, 2022
Dear Miss Manners: My husband says he is very concerned with good table manners, and he constantly harasses my 8-year-old grandsons on the subject.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 21, 2021
He chose to make himself like to his inferiors, not better than his equals, weaker than greater men, and so passed beyond the power of jealousy, which harasses only the noblest men.
From Dio's Rome, Volume 6 An Historical Narrative Originally Composed in Greek During The Reigns of Septimius Severus, Geta and Caracalla, Macrinus, Elagabalus And Alexander Severus by Herbert Baldwin Foster
In the waters off Subic Bay, local fishermen like Ryan Jacinto, who are frequently harassed by Chinese vessels out at sea, say they feel safer when U.S. ships are around.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
The Liuzzo family was harassed for their mother’s activism even after her death, but the event galvanized activists all over the country, becoming one impetus for Congress to finally pass the landmark 1965 legislation.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
In the indictment, the government alleges that protesters blocked ICE facilities and surveilled and harassed government employees while communicating in a Signal group chat, which they say was used to identify government vehicles.
From Salon ● Jun. 23, 2026
"They want to drive in areas where they're most comfortable and, in their minds, feel they're not going to be harassed."
From BBC ● Jun. 6, 2026
So I was trapped in the ER, waiting, harassed by Tyler’s constant apologies and promises to make it up to me.
From "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer
The 1972 Marine Mammal Protection Act Muehl admitted to violating prohibits hunting, harassing, capturing, or killing any marine mammal in U.S. waters, or attempting to do so.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
When she’s youthful, Sophie catches the eye of a handsome, richly dressed stranger who gallantly escorts her away from two men harassing her on the street.
From Salon ● Aug. 4, 2026
But against Spain, he took part in his side’s relentless harassing of a technically superior team as it racked up a World Cup final record of 26 fouls.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
But both Caine and Hegseth downplayed those hostilities, with the general describing it as "low harassing fire" and the Pentagon chief saying that "right now, the ceasefire certainly holds."
From Barron's ● May 5, 2026
“She isn’t actually harassing us, though, is she?” he said.
From "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
