51Թ

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View synonyms for

harass

[huh-ras, har-uhs]

verb (used with object)

  1. to disturb or bother persistently; torment, as with troubles or cares; pester.

    He stays up late, harassed with doubt and anxiety.

    Synonyms: , , , ,
  2. to intimidate or coerce, as with persistent demands or threats.

    Apparently a parent has been harassing the school principal with late-night phone calls.

  3. to subject to unwelcome sexual advances.

    I was harassed by my boss many years ago.

  4. to trouble by repeated attacks, incursions, etc., as in war or hostilities; harry; raid.

    Synonyms: ,


harass

/ ˈhærəs, həˈræs /

verb

  1. (tr) to trouble, torment, or confuse by continual persistent attacks, questions, etc

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Pronunciation Note

harass , a 17th-century borrowing from French, has traditionally been pronounced in English as , with stress on the first syllable. A newer pronunciation, , has developed in North American (but not British) English and has become the more common one in the U.S., especially among younger speakers.
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Other 51Թ Forms

  • harassable adjective
  • harasser noun
  • harassingly adverb
  • harassment noun
  • overharass verb (used with object)
  • unharassed adjective
  • ˈ󲹰Բ adjective
  • ˈ󲹰Գ noun
  • ˈ󲹰 adjective
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of harass1

First recorded in 1610–20; from French, Middle French harasser “to harry, harass,” verbal derivative of harace, harache (in phrase courre a la harace “pursue”), equivalent to hare “cry used to urge dogs on” (from Frankish hara (unattested) “here, from this side”; compare Old High German hera, Middle Dutch hare ) + -asse augmentative or pejorative suffix, from Latin -峦
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51Թ History and Origins

Origin of harass1

C17: from French harasser, variant of Old French harer to set a dog on, of Germanic origin; compare Old High German 󲹰ŧ to cry out
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Synonym Study

See worry.
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

The racial profiling that has resulted in law enforcement harassing American citizens.

From

While minors in urban areas often seek to improve their economic and social status, many rural youths are forcibly recruited by armed groups, who also harass and threaten their families.

From

Another whistleblower, engineer Sam Salehpour, told US politicians that he was harassed and threatened after he raised concerns about the safety of Boeing's planes.

From

“Several of our reporters, several of whom are women of color, have been harassed and attacked by law enforcement.”

From

Scheffler chuckled nervously when he said it, but athletes getting harassed by folks who lost money betting on their performances isn’t a laughing matter.

From

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Harareharassment