What does "harry" mean?
A menial servant; a sweeper.
Harry
/ˈhæ.ɹi/ name, noun, verb, slang
name, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A menial servant; a sweeper.
- Grammar: harry is listed as name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: afflict, afflicted, afflicts, aggravate.
- Useful contrasts: assist, calm, clarify.
- Usage evidence: Harry left his family 200 million yen when he died.
How to use "harry"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "harry" 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 "harry" 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 "harry" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "harry" 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 "harry" is acting as name, noun, verb, slang 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 "afflict" 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 "harry", 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 A menial servant; a sweeper. India, obsolete, transitive
- 2 The drug heroin. slang, uncountable
Verb
- 1 To plunder, pillage, assault. transitive
"I repent me much , That so I harry'd him"
- 2 make a pillaging or destructive raid on (a place), as in wartimes wordnet
- 3 To make repeated attacks on an enemy. transitive
"'One kiss, my bonny sweetheart, I'm after a prize to-night, / But I shall be back with the yellow gold before the morning light; / Yet, if they press me sharply, and harry me through the day, / Then look for me by moonlight, / Watch for me by moonlight, / I'll come to thee by moonlight, though Hell should bar the way.'"
- 4 annoy continually or chronically wordnet
- 5 To strip, lay waste, ravage. transitive
"to harry this beautiful region"
Show 1 more definition
- 6 To harass, bother or distress with demands, threats, or criticism. transitive
"Chelsea also struggled to keep possession as QPR harried and chased at every opportunity, giving their opponents no time on the ball."
Proper Noun
- 1 A male given name.
"Yet weep that Harry's dead, and so will I; / But Harry lives that shall convert those tears / By number into hours of happiness."
- 2 A male given name.; A male given name from the Germanic languages.
- 3 A male given name.; A male given name from French, originating as an Anglicization of Henri
- 4 A male given name.; A diminutive of the male given name Henry, Harold.
- 5 A surname originating as a patronymic.
Show 1 more definition
- 6 A diminutive of the female given name Harriet.
Example
"Harry left his family 200 million yen when he died."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "harry"?
Common synonyms include: afflict, afflicted, afflicts, aggravate, aggrieve, agonised.
How do you use "harry" in a sentence?
Harry left his family 200 million yen when he died.
How do you pronounce "harry"?
Pronounced /ˈhæ.ɹi/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English herien, harien, from Old English herġian, from Proto-West Germanic *harjōn, from Proto-Germanic *harjōną, from *harjaz (“army”), from Proto-Indo-European *koryos, from *ker- (“army”). Cognates See also Walloon hairyî, Old French hairier, harier; also Saterland Frisian ferheerje, German verheeren (“to harry, devastate”), Swedish härja (“ravage, harry”); also Old English here, West Frisian hear, Dutch heer, German Heer); also Middle Irish cuire (“army”), Lithuanian kãrias (“army; war”), Old Church Slavonic кара (kara, “strife”), Ancient Greek κοίρανος (koíranos, “chief, commander”), Old Persian [script needed] (kāra, “army”)). More at here (“army”).
Etymology 2
Related to Sanskrit अस्थि (asthi, “bone”).
Etymology 3
Medieval English spoken form of Old French Henri.