harried
Americanadjective
-
harassed, agitated, or troubled by or as if by repeated attacks; beleaguered.
This book is a balm for the harried, doubt-filled soul of a parent.
-
ravaged or devastated, as in war.
Since leaving France, the Fourth Battalion had depended for its food on what it could glean from a harried countryside.
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of harried
Explanation
Someone who is harried is feeling the stress of being rushed, overworked, or harassed. A harried parent might be exhausted but still have to make 3 dozen cupcakes for school and help with a science project. Harried comes from the verb harry, which itself is from the Middle English word herigan, meaning to pillage, plunder, or make war. Today, harried doesn't imply an act of war, but rather someone who is frazzled or a situation that might cause that feeling. If the project you're working on has been harried from start to finish, you'll be lucky to keep your sanity.
Vocabulary lists containing harried
"Letter from Birmingham Jail" by Martin Luther King, Jr. (1963)
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Speak
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "H"
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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.
“True, we’ve had misunderstandings. Though the ring knows when I’ve been walking, it confuses my harried morning routine for housework. After making a dinner one night, the ring asked whether I’d been on the elliptical.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026
Igor Jesus hit his own bar, Richarlison pressed and harried and Mathys Tel produced one of his better displays.
From BBC • Mar. 22, 2026
When they were first married, Heather was a harried corporate lawyer working long hours.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 10, 2026
It never feels like Brooks has a grasp on the material, which careens aimlessly through Ella’s harried day-to-day in a handsomely bland, serviceable style.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 12, 2025
They harried and harassed iron monsters like hawks scattering mice.
From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia
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.
