hassle

1 of 2

noun

has·​sle ˈha-səl 

1

: a heated often protracted argument : wrangle

embroiling myself in a long, exasperating hassle with masons

—S. J. Perelman

2

: a violent skirmish : fight

3

a

: a state of confusion : turmoil

all hassle and hurly-burly

—Ellery Queen

b

: an annoying or troublesome concern

avoid the hassle of filling out paperwork

flight delays and other hassles of holiday travel

too much of a hassle to bother with

hassle

2 of 2

verb

hassled; hassling ˈha-s(ə-)liŋ 

intransitive verb

: argue, fight

hassled with the umpire

transitive verb

: to annoy persistently or acutely : harass

gets hassled by the cops

Synonyms

Noun

• brush
• encounter
• run-in
• scrape
• skirmish

Verb

• bait
• haze
• heckle
• needle
• ride
• taunt
• tease

Examples of hassle in a Sentence

Noun

All this paperwork is a hassle.

They've had to deal with flight delays and all of the other hassles of holiday travel.

He got into a hassle with his landlord.

Verb

Other kids were always hassling her because she was overweight.

I'm sick of being hassled by telemarketers.

I don't have time to hassle with you about this! Just do what I tell you to do!

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

That said, if turning the squash into soup, a high-speed blender can process it, skin and all, into a smooth puree without the hassle of peeling. —Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 16 Dec. 2024

From glow-boosting skincare to iconic makeup staples, these picks bring the wow factor without the hassle of holiday crowds. —Claire Rutter, Rolling Stone, 12 Dec. 2024

Verb

Couldn’t be bothered, couldn’t be hassled with anything. —Sarah Larson, The New Yorker, 8 Dec. 2024

The coyote had been hassling workers on forklifts and trucks at United Concrete in Wallingford on Tuesday morning, according to WTNH. —Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 4 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

perhaps blend of harass and hustle

First Known Use

Noun

1945, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1951, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Kids Definition

hassle

1 of 2 verb

has·​sle ˈhas-əl 

hassled; hassling

-(ə-)liŋ

1

: argue sense 2, dispute

hassled with the umpire

2

: to annoy continuously : harass

hassle

2 of 2 noun

1

: argument sense 2

2

: fight entry 2 sense 1a

3

: something that is annoying or troublesome