hassle
Americannoun
-
hassles
plural
verb (used without object)
-
hassles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
hassled,
past participle, past
-
hassling
present participle
verb (used with object)
-
hassles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
hassled,
past participle, past
-
hassling
present participle
noun
-
a prolonged argument; wrangle
-
a great deal of trouble; difficulty; nuisance
verb
-
(intr) to quarrel or wrangle
-
(tr) to cause annoyance or trouble to (someone); harass
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
hasslesimple
-
hasslessimple
-
have hassledperfect
-
has hassledperfect
-
am hasslingprogressive
-
are hasslingprogressive
-
is hasslingprogressive
-
have been hasslingperfect progressive
-
has been hasslingperfect progressive
Past
-
hassledsimple
-
had hassledperfect
-
was hasslingprogressive
-
were hasslingprogressive
-
had been hasslingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of hassle
First recorded in 1935–40; origin uncertain
Explanation
Something that is bothersome or annoying can be called a hassle. It's a huge hassle to go back to the grocery store after unloading fifteen bags and realizing you forgot milk. The noun hassle can also refer to an argument or a scuffle. If you get into a hassle at school, you're likely to be called into the principal's office. As a verb, hassle means to annoy or harass repeatedly or chronically. If a bully is constantly hassling you, you should report them.
Vocabulary lists containing hassle
Ghost
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Don't Panic! Synonyms for "Stress"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Skin I'm In
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
But the government saw an opportunity to turn the hassle into something more fun.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026
We’ll tell ya, it was a real hassle getting those through the Strait of Hormuz.
From Slate ● Sep. 12, 2026
So you would have gone through the hassle and expense of transferring the property for no tax reason.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026
A gymnastics coach by training, Kelly was inspired to start Frosted Faces after she volunteered at local animal shelters and noticed owners turning in elderly pets because they had become too much of a hassle.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
But in the short term, siblings are at best a hassle and at worst a terror.
From "Every Day" by David Levithan
One of the most tantalizing possibilities is that they could remove a lot of the time-eating hassles of everyday life.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
A remote terminal with screening outside of Boston cuts down on airport hassles but eats up travelers’ time.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
Javier Pérez came with his family for the opener and told the BBC that the excitement now outweighs any hassles experienced up to this point.
From BBC ● Jun. 11, 2026
It’s not the hassles and aggravation that most people put up with.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 15, 2026
This eliminated the need for me to shave or cut my hair, both hassles I didn’t need.
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
Brighton were brilliant when they beat Arsenal before the international break - the Seagulls really harried and hassled the champions and went toe-to-toe with them.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
The company in March as part of a settlement admitted it had violated federal labor law when it hassled employees and agreed to pay $50,000 to the fired worker.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
Despite his well-known opposition to the ballot measure, no one hassled him.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2025
Among Lexie Manion’s memories of her junior year of high school in New Jersey was the experience of being regularly hassled by a school nurse who was trying to weigh her.
From Salon ● Aug. 1, 2024
“As in that cop who hassled us last night?”
From "Shelter (Book One): A Mickey Bolitar Novel" by Harlan Coben
Su’s buyers, who include many of America’s biggest retailers, have largely stopped hassling him to shift more production from China, in part because they recognize the efficiency of Chinese manufacturing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 9, 2025
A few months ago, it would have been hard to fathom federal authorities hassling Tesla over pretty much anything.
From Slate ● Jun. 24, 2025
Wild animal rehabilitation organizations claim California officials are hassling their operations after decades of cooperation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 23, 2023
A Southern sea otter, nicknamed Otter 841, has been hassling surfers at Santa Cruz, California's Steamer Lane all summer.
From DOGO News ● Aug. 25, 2023
“You’re just hassling me because you don’t approve of my lifestyle.”
From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
