What does "harass" mean?
Harassment; pestering.
Harass
/həˈɹæs/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Harassment; pestering.
- Grammar: harass is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: harry, hassle, abuse, accosted.
- Useful contrasts: accommodate, assist, defend.
- Usage evidence: I don't want you to harass Tom.
How to use "harass"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "harass" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "harass" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "harass" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "harass" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "harass" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "harry" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "harass", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Harassment; pestering. archaic, transitive
"Mean while the men of Judah to prevent / The harraſs of thir Land, beſet me round; […]"
Verb
- 1 To annoy (someone) frequently or systematically; to pester. transitive
"For it is a stout calf, ripe for the temples and altar [to be sacrificed], and to be sprinkled with wine; who is now ashamed to draw the dugs of his mother, and who harasseth the oaks with his budding horn."
- 2 exhaust by attacking repeatedly wordnet
- 3 To annoy (someone) frequently or systematically; to pester.; To persistently bother (someone, or a group of people) physically or psychologically when such behaviour is illegal and/or unwanted, especially over an extended period. specifically, transitive
"I am gay and have AIDS and would very much like to write to someone. It is vey lonely here and they seem to think I'm going to die soon, though I wonder if they aren't just harassing me."
- 4 annoy continually or chronically wordnet
- 5 To put excessive burdens upon (someone); to subject (someone) to anxieties. transitive
"To harass good people is no different than speaking ill of them."
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 To trouble (someone, or a group of people) through repeated military-style attacks. transitive
"But meanevvhile, to harraſſe and vvearie the Engliſh, they [the French] did vpon all aduantages ſet vpon them vvith their Light-Horſe; vvherein neuertheleſſe they receiued commonly loſſe, eſpecially by meanes of the Engliſh-Archers."
- 7 Often followed by out: to fatigue or tire (someone) with exhausting and repeated efforts. obsolete, transitive
"VVhich Troupes came to the Army but the day before, harraſed vvith a long and vveariſome march: and (as it is left for a memorable circumſtance in all Stories,) the Souldiers, being more ſenſible of a little Heat of the Sunne, than of any cold Feare of Death, caſt avvay their Armour, and Garments from them, and fought in their Shirts: […]"
Antonyms
Example
"I don't want you to harass Tom."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "harass"?
Common synonyms include: harry, hassle, abuse, accosted, accosting, accosts.
How do you use "harass" in a sentence?
I don't want you to harass Tom.
How do you pronounce "harass"?
Pronounced /həˈɹæs/.
Etymology
The verb is derived from Middle French, Old French harasser (“to exhaust, tire out, wear out; to harry, torment, vex”) (modern French harasser (“to exhaust, tire out, wear out”)), possibly from Old French harer (“to set a dog on”), from Frankish *hara (“here, hither”) (a command for a dog to attack), from Proto-Germanic *hē₂r (“here, in this place”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱe (“here; this”) + *ís (“the (person or thing just named)”) + *-r. The noun is derived from the verb.