harass

UK: /ˈhærəs/, /həˈræs/

US: /həˈræs, ˈhærəs/

US: (hə ras′, har′əs)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

ha•rass /həˈræs, ˈhærəs/   v. [~ + object] ,

1. to annoy continuously;
   pester;
   persecute:
   harassed the candidate about his war record.
2. to trouble by repeated attacks:
   to harass enemy supply lines.

ha•rass•er, n. [countable]
ha•rass•ment, n. [uncountable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

ha•rass  (hə ras′, har′əs), v.t. 

1. to disturb persistently; torment, as with troubles or cares;
   bother continually;
   pester;
   persecute.
2. to trouble by repeated attacks, incursions, etc., as in war or hostilities;
   harry;
   raid.

• Latin -ācea
• Frankish *hara here, from this side; compare Old High German hera, Middle Dutch hare) + -asse augmentative or pejorative suffix
• French, Middle French harasser to harry, harass, verb, verbal der. of harace, harache (in phrase courre a la harace pursue) = hare cry used to urge dogs on (
• 1610–20

ha•rass ′a•ble, adj. 
ha•rass′er, n. 
ha•rass ′ing•ly, adv. 
ha•rass ′ment, n. 
Synonyms

• 1. badger, vex, plague, hector torture. See worry. 
• 2. molest.

Pronunciation

harass, a 17th-century French borrowing, has traditionally been pronounced (har′əs), with stress on the first syllable. A newer pronunciation, (hə ras′), has developed in North American (but not British) English. While this newer pronunciation is sometimes criticized by older educated speakers, it has become the more common one in the U.S., especially among younger educated speakers, some of whom have only minimal familiarity with the older form.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

harass / ˈhærəs həˈræs/ verb

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

Etymology: 17th Century: from French harasser, variant of Old French harer to set a dog on, of Germanic origin; compare Old High German harēn to cry out

ˈharassed adjective

ˈharassedly adverb

haˈrasser noun

ˈharassment noun