HARRY Synonyms: 104 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'harry' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of harry are annoy , harass , pester , plague , tease , and worry . While all these words mean "to disturb or irritate by persistent acts," harry may imply heavy oppression or maltreatment. // the strikers had been harried by thugs

Q: When can 'annoy' be used instead of 'harry'?

The words annoy and harry are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, annoy implies disturbing one's composure or peace of mind by intrusion, interference, or petty attacks. // you're doing that just to annoy me

Q: Where would 'harass' be a reasonable alternative to 'harry'?

While the synonyms harass and harry are close in meaning, harass implies petty persecutions or burdensome demands that exhaust one's nervous or mental power. // harassed on all sides by creditors

Q: When might 'pester' be a better fit than 'harry'?

The words pester and harry can be used in similar contexts, but pester stresses the repetition of petty attacks. // constantly pestered with trivial complaints

Q: When would 'plague' be a good substitute for 'harry'?

The synonyms plague and harry are sometimes interchangeable, but plague implies a painful and persistent affliction. // plagued all her life by poverty

Q: When is it sensible to use 'tease' instead of 'harry'?

While in some cases nearly identical to harry , tease suggests an attempt to break down one's resistance or rouse to wrath. // children teased the dog

Q: In what contexts can 'worry' take the place of 'harry'?

The meanings of worry and harry largely overlap; however, worry implies an incessant goading or attacking that drives one to desperation. // pursued a policy of worrying the enemy

harry

verb

Definition of harry

as in to sack

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Dissimilar Words

as in to harass

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How does the verb harry contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of harry are annoy, harass, pester, plague, tease, and worry. While all these words mean "to disturb or irritate by persistent acts," harry may imply heavy oppression or maltreatment.

the strikers had been harried by thugs

When can annoy be used instead of harry?

The words annoy and harry are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, annoy implies disturbing one's composure or peace of mind by intrusion, interference, or petty attacks.

you're doing that just to annoy me

Where would harass be a reasonable alternative to harry?

While the synonyms harass and harry are close in meaning, harass implies petty persecutions or burdensome demands that exhaust one's nervous or mental power.

harassed on all sides by creditors

When might pester be a better fit than harry?

The words pester and harry can be used in similar contexts, but pester stresses the repetition of petty attacks.

constantly pestered with trivial complaints

When would plague be a good substitute for harry?

The synonyms plague and harry are sometimes interchangeable, but plague implies a painful and persistent affliction.

plagued all her life by poverty

When is it sensible to use tease instead of harry?

While in some cases nearly identical to harry, tease suggests an attempt to break down one's resistance or rouse to wrath.

children teased the dog

In what contexts can worry take the place of harry?

The meanings of worry and harry largely overlap; however, worry implies an incessant goading or attacking that drives one to desperation.

pursued a policy of worrying the enemy

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of harry There is a lot of work to do, but Hurley does not sound stressed or harried as in years past. — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 15 Apr. 2026 Servers in the very busy Studio Bar at cocktail hour were attentive, if harried at times, and the bartenders mix great drinks. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 May 2026 From there, Jamiro Monteiro continues to hassle and harry up the pitch, before returning to his midfield role and ensuring there is little space in the centre for Spain to progress through. — Thom Harris, New York Times, 15 June 2026 The Antonelli hype is real Norris harried Antonelli for the rest of the 57-lap race, but the reigning world champion could not force the Mercedes sophomore into a fault. — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 4 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for harry

Recent Examples of Synonyms for harry

Verb

The Hightowers, Rhaenyra soon learns, have sacked the town of Tumbleton, a thriving city on the border of the Crownlands and the Reach.

— Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 6 July 2026
That came in the spring of 2025, about 11 months after his dad had been sacked as coach, when Pochettino, the new manager, gave the younger Berhalter his first national team call-up.

— Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026

Definition of sack

Verb

Lively accused Baldoni in December 2024 of harassing her on the set of It Ends With Us and subsequently plotting a smear campaign against her.

— Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 30 June 2026
Debt collectors generally cannot harass family members or misrepresent who is legally responsible for the debt.

— Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 30 June 2026

Definition of harass

Verb

Soon though, Shawna noticed some of Zaayer's strange behaviors — including scolding her grandson, getting upset over cleaning habits and allegedly showing them racist videos.

— Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026
Justice Barrett actually sounded kind of sharp, almost scolding, in the opinion in her criticism of the assertions made by the plaintiffs and some of the justices in the minority.

— John E. Jones III, The Conversation, 1 July 2026

Definition of scold

Verb

For his part, Klaus Kallmann also claims that his father, Hartmut Kallmann, always said that their family’s art collection was fully intact when the Nazis came to power and that the collection subsequently looted.

— News Desk, Artforum, 30 June 2026
Though it had been looted by kids, most of the material was eventually recovered.

— Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 30 June 2026

Definition of loot

Verb

The two sides publicly savaged each other, with dueling allegations of mishandling forensic evidence, among other things.

— Joaquin Sapien, ProPublica, 30 June 2026
But the brutal attack on his girlfriend wasn’t the first time Smith had tried to stop the two pit-bull-and-Catahoua-leopard-mix dogs from savaging someone, according to an affidavit for an arrest warrant filed with the court.

— Natasha Holt, FOXNews.com, 14 June 2026

Definition of savage

Verb

The most common type of dementia, which destroys memory and cognitive function, was responsible for 116,022 deaths in 2024, NCHS data shows.

— Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
That book is a revenge fantasy about the former art school professor who seduced her, discarded her and destroyed her confidence as a painter.

— The Week UK, TheWeek, 2 July 2026

Definition of destroy

Verb

Shakespeare’s haughty Roman war hero, revered on the battlefield yet reviled by hungry plebeians, becomes the flash point in a young democracy tearing itself apart over power and sacrifice.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
They were both reviled and imitated, but always watched as a pop cultural spectacle.

— Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 26 June 2026

Definition of revile

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“Harry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harry. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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