harassed; harassing; harasses
1
b(1)
: to annoy persistently
was harassing his younger brother
(2)
: to create an unpleasant or hostile situation for especially by uninvited and unwelcome verbal or physical conduct
was being harassed by her classmates
claims that the police were unfairly harassing him
2
: to worry and impede by repeated raids
harassed the enemy
harasser
noun
plural -s
1
: the act or an instance of harassing : vexation, annoyance
the harassment of unions … will become more difficult—
T. W. Arnold
T. W. Arnoldchafed by the harassments of travel—R. L. Taylor
R. L. Taylorthe weather, taxes, … and various harassments of a more personal nature—New Yorker
New Yorkerborder incidents … no longer have the character of mere harassment—Atlantic Monthly
Atlantic Monthly2
: the condition of being harassed
showed signs of harassment—E. M. Lustgarten
E. M. Lustgartenhis continuing harassment may have been due in great part to his own … contentious personality—Stuart MacClintock
Stuart MacClintockExamples of harass in a Sentence
Verb
She was constantly harassed by the other students.
He claims that he is being unfairly harassed by the police.
Recent Examples on the Web
Cbs Baltimore Staff, CBS News, 13 June 2026
The mayor’s social media message follows multiple incidents involving Knicks fans harassing Spurs supporters, some of which escalated into physical violence.
—Chantz Martin Outkick, FOXNews.com, 13 June 2026
The man walked away, but Thompson followed and harassed him, deputies say.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 12 June 2026
Never harass, capture, or handle an alligator.
—Eva Flowe
june 12, Charlotte Observer, 12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for harass
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
Police say Bunn stalked and harassed the woman in a blue Chevrolet Silverado and would park in areas to watch and follow her.
—Cbs Baltimore Staff, CBS News, 13 June 2026
The mayor’s social media message follows multiple incidents involving Knicks fans harassing Spurs supporters, some of which escalated into physical violence.
—Chantz Martin Outkick, FOXNews.com, 13 June 2026
The man walked away, but Thompson followed and harassed him, deputies say.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 12 June 2026
Never harass, capture, or handle an alligator.
—Eva Flowe
june 12, Charlotte Observer, 12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for harass
Cite this Entry
“Harass.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/harass. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Legal Definition
harass
transitive verb
ha·rass
hə-ˈras, ˈhar-əs 
: to subject persistently and wrongfully to annoying, offensive, or troubling behavior
a collection agency harassing a debtor
see also sexual harassment
harasser
noun
harassment
noun
Etymology
Transitive verb
Middle French harasser to exhaust, fatigue, from harer to set a dog on, from Old French hare, interjection used to incite dogs
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
