Synonyms

harping

American

[hahr-ping] / ˈhɑr pɪŋ /

Also harpin

noun

Shipbuilding.

any of several horizontal members at the ends of a vessel for holding cant frames in position until the shell planking or plating is attached.

Other Word Forms

unharping adjective

Etymology

Origin of harping

1620–30; perhaps harp + -ing ¹

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.

"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

But, he also painted a broader picture of why he is concerned about increased regulation, harping back to Amazon’s blocked acquisition of iRobot, the Boston-based maker of the autonomous vacuum cleaners Roomba.

From Seattle Times • May 22, 2024

Other amusements later, with song and harping that adorn a feast.”

From "The Odyssey" by Homer

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