harass

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb harass contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of harass are annoy, harry, pester, plague, tease, and worry. While all these words mean "to disturb or irritate by persistent acts," harass implies petty persecutions or burdensome demands that exhaust one's nervous or mental power.

harassed on all sides by creditors

Where would annoy be a reasonable alternative to harass?

While in some cases nearly identical to harass, annoy implies disturbing one's composure or peace of mind by intrusion, interference, or petty attacks.

you're doing that just to annoy me

When could harry be used to replace harass?

The words harry and harass are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, harry may imply heavy oppression or maltreatment.

the strikers had been harried by thugs

When might pester be a better fit than harass?

In some situations, the words pester and harass are roughly equivalent. However, pester stresses the repetition of petty attacks.

constantly pestered with trivial complaints

When is it sensible to use plague instead of harass?

The words plague and harass can be used in similar contexts, but plague implies a painful and persistent affliction.

plagued all her life by poverty

When can tease be used instead of harass?

While the synonyms tease and harass are close in meaning, tease suggests an attempt to break down one's resistance or rouse to wrath.

children teased the dog

When would worry be a good substitute for harass?

Although the words worry and harass have much in common, worry implies an incessant goading or attacking that drives one to desperation.

pursued a policy of worrying the enemy

Examples of harass in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Angry, embittered citizens have been harassing government officials in North Carolina, as well as FEMA employees. Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2024 In last week's 21-17 loss to No. 24 Texas A&M, he was hurried eight times and harassed with regularity. Tom Murphy, arkansasonline.com, 3 Oct. 2024 Moore felt validated and relieved that Jessup, who's currently in custody in Nevada, couldn't harass her anymore. Kristine Phillips, The Indianapolis Star, 1 Oct. 2024 But it has been mired in controversy former contestants, including Abbington, claimed they had been bullied and harassed on the show. K.j. Yossman, Variety, 30 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for harass 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'harass.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Thesaurus Entries Near harass

Cite this Entry

“Harass.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harass. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on harass

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