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
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.
Winfrey was the first TV personality to invite a loyal audience primarily made up of harried women to put themselves and their care first.
From Salon ● Sep. 27, 2026
She was presented with her award by actor Richard E Grant, who played the Spice Girls' harried manager Clifford in the 1997 movie Spice World.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
Patients arrived with gangrenous foot wounds that harried providers elsewhere brushed off as athlete’s foot.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 14, 2026
Featuring a built-in biometric sensor based on heart rate, these blackout sleep goggles are meant to help relax even the most harried dad.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026
The harried young man jumped out of bed and ran away.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
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.
