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
chafed by the harassments of travel—R. L. Taylor
the weather, taxes, … and various harassments of a more personal nature—New Yorker
border incidents … no longer have the character of mere harassment—Atlantic Monthly
2
: the condition of being harassed
showed signs of harassment—E. M. Lustgarten
his continuing harassment may have been due in great part to his own … contentious personality—Stuart MacClintock
Cite this Entry
“Harass.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/harass. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.
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