harass

English

Etymology

From Old French harasser (“to tire out, to vex”). Origin uncertain; compare Old French harier (“harry”); see harry; compare Old French, harace (“a basket made of cords”), harace, harasse (“a very heavy and large shield; or harer to set (a dog) on”).

Pronunciation

• (GenAm) enPR: hərăsʹ, IPA: /həˈræs/, X-SAMPA: /h@"r{s/

  Rhymes: -æs

• (RP) enPR: hăʹrəs, IPA: /ˈhærəs/, X-SAMPA: /"h{r@s/

  Rhymes: -ærəs

Verb

harass (third-person singular simple present harasses, present participle harassing, simple past and past participle harassed)

1. To fatigue or to tire with repeated and exhausting efforts.
2. To annoy endlessly or systematically; to molest.
   • 1877, Anna Sewell, Black Beauty Chapter 23[1]

     In my old home, I always knew that John and my master were my friends; but here, although in many ways I was well treated, I had no friend. York might have known, and very likely did know, how that rein harassed me; but I suppose he took it as a matter of course that could not be helped; at any rate nothing was done to relieve me.

3. To put excessive burdens upon; to subject to anxieties.

   Nazis and their sympathizers harassed Jews and Gypsies in the early 1940s.

Synonyms

• hassle
• harry
• chivy or chivvy
• chevy or chevvy
• beset
• plague
• molest
• provoke

Derived terms

• harasser
• harassment

Translations

to fatigue or tire

• Bengali: জ্বালাতন করা (bn) (jalatôn kôra)
• Finnish: väsyttää (fi), uuvuttaa (fi)
• Italian: stancare (it), indebolire (it)

• Russian: утомлять (ru) (utomljat') , изнурять (ru) (iznurját') 
• Scottish Gaelic: sàraich

to annoy; to molest

• Bengali: জ্বালাতন করা (bn) (jalatôn kôra)
• Finnish: kiusata (fi), hätyyttää (fi)
• French: harceler (fr)
• German: belästigen (de)
• Italian: molestare (it), vessare (it), tormentare (it), infastidire (it)

• Polish: dręczyć, nękać, gnębić, prześladować
• Portuguese: molestar (pt), incomodar (pt)
• Russian: досаждать (ru) (dosaždát) , беспокоить (ru) (bespokóit’) 
• Scottish Gaelic: sàraich

to put excessive burdens upon

• Finnish: vainota (fi)
• French: harceler (fr)
• German: verfolgen (de)

• Italian: assillare (it), incalzare (it), tartassare (it)
• Scottish Gaelic: sàraich

External links

• harass in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• harass in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911

Noun

harass

1. (obsolete) devastation; waste

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Milton to this entry?)

2. (obsolete) worry; harassment

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Byron to this entry?)