What does "harassment" mean?
Persistent attacks and criticism causing worry and distress.
Harassment
/həˈɹæs.mənt/ noun
noun ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Persistent attacks and criticism causing worry and distress.
- Grammar: harassment is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: molestation, torment, abuse, abuses.
- Useful contrasts: digital messaging safety, courtesy, fairness.
- Usage evidence: Sexual harassment has now become a social issue.
How to use "harassment"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "harassment" 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 "harassment" 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 "harassment" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "harassment" 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 "harassment" is acting as noun 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 "molestation" 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 "harassment", 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 Persistent attacks and criticism causing worry and distress. countable, uncountable
- 2 the act of tormenting by continued persistent attacks and criticism wordnet
- 3 Deliberate pestering or intimidation. countable, uncountable
"“As a result, OCR found that the district’s pattern of inconsistent responses to reports it received of sexual harassment – infrequently responding under Title IX or not responding at all – rose to the level that the district’s response to some families’ sexual harassment reports was deliberately indifferent to students’ civil rights,” a news release from DOE reads."
- 4 a feeling of intense annoyance caused by being tormented wordnet
- 5 The use of repeated small-scale attacks to wear down an enemy force. countable, uncountable
"Throughout this period, and beyond, into the rest of the battle, aircraft of various types and loadouts are crisscrossing the skies in desperate harassment attacks, with the pilots having to play constant games of "guess the carrier" to decide where to land as escort carriers are hit, sunk, disappear in columns of shell splashes, or are forced to evade at angles to the wind that make landing on them impossible."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Sexual harassment has now become a social issue."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "harassment"?
Common synonyms include: molestation, torment, abuse, abuses, abusive conduct, accosting.
How do you use "harassment" in a sentence?
Sexual harassment has now become a social issue.
How do you pronounce "harassment"?
Pronounced /həˈɹæs.mənt/.
Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French harassement. By surface analysis, harass + -ment.