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

Despite being unable to read sheet music, Parton played several instruments including the banjo, harp, piano and saxophone.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

“In a traditional film, people would harp on the fact that they just came from a very dark journey and that they don’t have work.”

From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2026

He did, however, enhance the original orchestration with new colors for harp, organ and brass.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 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

This time he led the way, for the bard admitted—after a number of harp strings had snapped—that he had not been able to keep all Medwyn’s directions in his head.

From "The Book of Three" by Lloyd Alexander

Their songs weave in Irish lilting, set against a lively mix of drums, fiddles, flutes, harps, banjos, cello and concertina - skills honed over years of playing house parties, pub céilís and traditional festivals.

From BBC ● May 16, 2026

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

In the case of “Marty Supreme,” set in the early 1950s, that means a radical use of electronica: sequenced beats, zinging harps and treated choir voices.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 8, 2025

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

She would brush it into such a tower of beauty, people all over heaven would drop their harps just to admire it.

From "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd

For centuries the finest medical minds harped on attuning a balance among the four humors—sanguine, choleric, melancholic and phlegmatic—in tender young constitutions by adjusting the proportions of hot-cold and moist-dry elements in the diet.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

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

From BBC ● Jan. 8, 2026

The coach who harped on building “championship habits” said the Lakers have delivered that standard in just 16 games.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 3, 2025

You've harped on a lot for a while.

From Salon ● Nov. 17, 2023

I harped on this so loud and long that my exhausted father, in desperate need of peace, said, “All right, Callie. I’ll pay you a nickel.”

From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly

"We need reinforcements, but I don't want to keep harping on about it. I don't need to beg for players that we need."

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2025

Believe me, I’m completely aware that I sound like a Scrooge, a buzzkill harping and carping about innocuous movies that are meant to be little more than background noise while people scroll on their phones.

From Salon ● Dec. 21, 2024

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

From Slate ● Dec. 4, 2024

I am constantly harping on the fact that L.A. has amazing, curated boutiques like Mohawk General Store, elevated brands like Ghiaia Cashmere blowing up the menswear scene.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2024

“Still harping on that? If there was anything wrong, don’t you think we’d have heard about it by now?”

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck