harp

American  

[hahrp] / hɑrp /

noun

harps plural

1. a musical instrument consisting of a triangular frame formed by a soundbox, a pillar, and a curved neck, and having strings stretched between the soundbox and the neck that are plucked with the fingers.

2. anything that resembles this instrument, especially in having a row of parallel strings or wires, as various mechanical devices or kitchen implements for slicing cheese.

3. a vertical metal frame shaped to bend around the bulb in a standing lamp and used to support a lamp shade.

4. Slang: Extremely Disparaging and Offensive. a contemptuous term used to refer to a person of Irish birth or descent.

5. Also called harper.  any of several English coins issued for use in Ireland during the 16th and 17th centuries, bearing the figure of a harp on the reverse.

6. South Midland and Southern U.S. a mouth harp; harmonica.

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verb (used without object)

harps, present (3rd person singular) harped, past participle, past harping present participle

1. to play on a harp.

verb phrase

1. harp on / upon to dwell on persistently or tediously in speaking or writing.

   He was always harping on the importance of taking vitamin supplements.

harp British  

/ hɑːp /

noun

1. a large triangular plucked stringed instrument consisting of a soundboard connected to an upright pillar by means of a curved crossbar from which the strings extend downwards. The strings are tuned diatonically and may be raised in pitch either one or two semitones by the use of pedals ( double-action harp ). Basic key: B major; range: nearly seven octaves

2. something resembling this, esp in shape

3. an informal name (esp in pop music) for harmonica

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verb

1. (intr) to play the harp

2. archaic (tr) to speak; utter; express

3. (intr; foll by on or upon) to speak or write in a persistent and tedious manner

harp Cultural  

1. An instrument in the string section of the orchestra. The orchestral harp is several feet tall and has pedals that allow the harpist to change the key of the instrument as necessary.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• harper
  noun
• harplike
  adjective
• unharped
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• harps
  plural

Participles

• harping
  present
• harped
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• harp
  simple
• harps
  simple
• have harped
  perfect
• has harped
  perfect
• am harping
  progressive
• are harping
  progressive
• is harping
  progressive
• have been harping
  perfect progressive
• has been harping
  perfect progressive

Past

• harped
  simple
• had harped
  perfect
• was harping
  progressive
• were harping
  progressive
• had been harping
  perfect progressive

Future

• will harp
  simple
• will have harped
  perfect
• will be harping
  progressive
• will have been harping
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of harp

before 900; Middle English harpe, Old English hearpe; cognate with Dutch harp, German Harfe, Old Norse harpa

Explanation

A harp is a large, stringed musical instrument with a beautiful sound. If you want to play an instrument that's portable, you should choose a ukulele instead of a harp. Many orchestras include a classical harp, which is such a big instrument that players usually need assistance to move them. Harps are played from a sitting position, resting on the player's shoulder as she plucks the strings with both hands. A folk harp is often smaller, sometimes sitting on a player's lap. When harp is used as a verb, it means to talk constantly and dully about one topic: "The harpist did nothing but harp on about the weather."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

harp harps harped harping

“Bless his heart, he is full of beans,” he continues, describing Jagger this way twice in 30 minutes, “and playing some really great blues harp on this record.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026

The midtempo “Ridin’ High” starts with a descending harp glissando that pours into a synthesizer seasoned by a vibraslap’s rattlesnake hiss.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 25, 2026

Alice McLeod was a highly gifted and accomplished pianist who later became renowned for her mastery of the harp.

From Salon ● Apr. 14, 2026

Central to the project are the Irish harp and the qanun, a 78-string Middle Eastern instrument that is played on the lap.

From BBC ● Jan. 26, 2026

To Fflewddur Fflam shall be given one harp string.

From "The Book of Three" by Lloyd Alexander

A pair of harps, placed antiphonally in boxes at opposite sides of the stage, plus a theorbo, offer an otherworldly descant, as do the sounds of the celesta and chimes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026

Their distinctive traits include an intense connection to music - and they are often heard playing harps or singing tunes that are "hypnotically beautiful but impossible to remember".

From BBC ● Jan. 30, 2026

Ernesto Rey and his cowboys awoke in their hammocks before dawn, to the percussive harps of llanera music on their phones and Jupiter visible in the sky.

From New York Times ● Jan. 16, 2024

At his signal, the strings went off on a pizzicato run, buoyed by harps and congas, before dissolving into a bass drum pulse beneath simmering horns.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 2023

Normally they make you feel floaty and think of puffy clouds and hear harps, but right now they look just plain scared.

From "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson

"Something that coach Coen's harped on is just going 1-0 every week," says Little.

From BBC ● Jan. 8, 2026

Perhaps you’ve felt that I’ve harped a bit much on the Astrud Gilberto song.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 26, 2023

“You once said that using the debt ceiling as a negotiating wedge just could not happen,” she harped like a little tattletale.

From Washington Times ● May 15, 2023

Carroll's attorney, Roberta Kaplan, "harped on his absence" in her closing statement to the jury this morning.

From Salon ● May 8, 2023

“Well then don’t get mad at her if she never does what you ask her to do,” Bertha harped, stirring some flour into a gravy base in a frying pan on the stove.

From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols

"They are harping on about getting more disabled people in employment," she said.

From BBC ● Oct. 26, 2025

His harping on this point could come across as doctrinaire.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 14, 2025

Throughout the hearing, he kept harping on the word "anonymous," implying that the press made up the stories.

From Salon ● Jan. 15, 2025

Kavanaugh then pivoted, harping on “detransitioners”—people who transitioned, and then stopped identifying as transgender.

From Slate ● Dec. 4, 2024

He stopped harping on how long it would take to get home.

From "The Season of Styx Malone" by Kekla Magoon