Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense harasses, present participle harassing, past tense, past participle harassed
verb
If someone harasses you, they trouble or annoy you, for example by attacking you repeatedly or by causing you as many problems as they can.
A woman reporter complained one of them sexually harassed her in the locker room. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: annoy, trouble, bother, worry More Synonyms of harass
harass in British English
(ˈhærəs, həˈræs)
verb
(transitive)
to trouble, torment, or confuse by continual persistent attacks, questions, etc
Derived forms
harassed (ˈharassed)
adjective
harassedly (ˈharassedly)
adverb
harasser (haˈrasser)
noun
harassing (ˈharassing)
adjective, noun
harassingly (haˈrassingly)
adverb
harassment (ˈharassment)
noun
Word origin
C17: from French harasser, variant of Old French harer to set a dog on, of Germanic origin; compare Old High German harēn to cry out
harass in American English
(ˈhærəs; həˈræs)
verb transitive
1.
to trouble, worry, or torment, as with cares, debts, repeated questions, etc.
2.
to trouble by repeated raids or attacks, etc.; harry
Derived forms
harasser (ˈharasser)
noun
harassment (ˈharassment)
noun
Word origin
Fr harasser < OFr harer, to set a dog on < hare, cry to incite dogs < OHG harēn, to call, cry out
Examples of 'harass' in a sentence
harass
The mother had complained about being harassed but the police failed to act.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The mother had complained about being harassed but the police failed to act.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
They accused the police of constantly harassing them for no good reason.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
They were routinely harassed when driving their cars or walking down the street.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
He said she was being harassed and the police hadn't done anything.
The Sun (2015)
So I ended up telling the police he was harassing me.
The Sun (2013)
No one has harassed us yet,' she said.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
After this, he claimed, he began to be harassed by the police.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
No more than a dozen runners in any public beauty spot at any one time - with numbers monitored by traffic police redirected from harassing lawful motorists.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
In other languages
harass
British English: harass VERB
If someone harasses you, they trouble or annoy you, for example by attacking you repeatedly.
They were continually harassed by police and were sick of it.
American English: harass
Brazilian Portuguese: importunar
Chinese: 骚扰
European Spanish: acosar
French: harceler
German: schikanieren
Italian: molestare
Japanese: しつこく悩ます
Korean: 괴롭히다
European Portuguese: importunar
Latin American Spanish: acosar
Chinese translation of 'harass'
harass
(ˈhærəs)
vt
(= annoy, pester) 骚(騷)扰(擾) (sāorǎo)
(verb)
Definition
to trouble or annoy (someone) by repeated attacks, questions, or problems
a celebrity routinely harassed by the paparazzi
Synonyms
annoy
Try making a note of the things that annoy you.
trouble
Is anything troubling you?
bother
I don't know why he bothers me with this kind of rubbish.
worry
‘Why didn't you tell us?’ – ‘Didn't want to worry you.’
harry
He would exploit and harry his workers.
disturb
I didn't want to disturb you.
devil (informal)
plague
I'm not going to plague you with a lot of questions.
bait
He delighted in baiting his friends.
hound
hounded by the press
torment
My older brother used to torment me by singing it to me.
hassle (informal)
The children started hassling me as soon as I sat down.
badger
She badgered her doctor time and again, pleading with him.
persecute
He described his manager as constantly persecuting him.
exasperate
The constant interruptions were beginning to exasperate me.
pester
He's always hanging round and pestering me.
vex
Everything about that man vexes me.
breathe down someone's neck
chivvy (British)
She was very assertive, endlessly chivvying her staff to work harder.
give someone grief (British, South Africa)
be on your back (slang)
beleaguer
Additional synonyms
in the sense of badger
Definition
to pester or harass
She badgered her doctor time and again, pleading with him.
Synonyms
pester,
worry,
harry,
bother,
bug (informal),
bully,
plague,
hound,
get at,
harass,
nag,
hassle (informal),
chivvy,
importune (formal),
bend someone's ear (informal),
be on someone's back (slang)
in the sense of bait
Definition
to persecute or tease
He delighted in baiting his friends.
Synonyms
tease,
provoke,
annoy,
irritate,
guy (informal),
bother,
needle (informal),
plague (informal),
mock,
rag,
rib (informal),
wind up (British, slang),
hound,
torment,
harass,
ridicule,
taunt,
hassle (informal),
aggravate (informal),
badger,
gall,
persecute,
pester,
goad,
irk,
bedevil,
take the mickey out of (informal),
take the piss out of (taboo, slang),
chaff,
gibe,
get on the nerves of (informal),
nark (British, Australian, New Zealand, slang),
be on the back of (slang),
piss you off (taboo, slang),
get in the hair of (informal),
get or take a rise out of,
hack you off (informal)
in the sense of bother
Definition
to trouble (a person) by repeatedly disturbing
I don't know why he bothers me with this kind of rubbish.