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

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Etymology

Origin of harp

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

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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

One is Bruch’s decision to cast the harp in a supporting role.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

Leading an orchestra of 22, featuring lively colorations from saxophone, harp, marimba and guitar, conductor Michael Sakir captured the music’s landscape of alternating pulse and elegy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026

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

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

We also included instruments like the bassoon, the harp, the trombone and obviously the saxophone.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2026

He knoweth the sound of my harp, and the certain tune I play will tell him we have need of him.

From "The Door in the Wall" by Marguerite de Angeli

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

Mina resents when Sade harps on the inequities of their childhoods.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 28, 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

Whenever you see pictures of saints, men or women, they’re always looking up to heaven where there are clouds filled with little fat angels carrying flowers or harps giving praise.

From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt

Slaughter relayed what Barry’s group has harped on all week.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2026

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

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

From Salon ● May 8, 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

Wiatt, apparently having cold feet, starts harping on culture.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

Dario Amodei published a blog post warning that more A.I. agents going “rogue” could soon take over the entire web, then went on various news shows to keep harping the message.

From Slate ● Sep. 15, 2026

"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

We had all heard Miranda harping for months about how Naomi was greasing up the school.

From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez

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