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/, SAMPA: /h@"r{s/

  Rhymes: -æs

• (RP) enPR: hăʹrəs, IPA: /ˈhærəs/, 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
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) Finnish: väsyttää (fi), uuvuttaa (fi) Italian: stancare (it), indebolire (it)

Russian: утомлять (ru), изнурять (ru) Scottish Gaelic: sàraich

to annoy; to molest

Bengali: জ্বালাতন করা (bn) Finnish: kiusata (fi), hätyyttää (fi) French: harceler (fr) German: belästigen (de)

Italian: molestare (it), vessare (it), tormentare (it), infastidire (it) Portuguese: molestar (pt), incomodar (pt) Russian: досаждать (ru), беспокоить (ru) 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