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verb (used with object)
1.
to disturb persistently; torment, as with troubles or cares; bother continually; pester; persecute.
2.
to trouble by repeated attacks, incursions, etc., as in war or hostilities; harry; raid.
Origin:
1610–20; < French, Middle French harasser to harry, harass, v. derivative of harace, harache (in phrase courre a la harace pursue) = hare cry used to urge dogs on (< Frankish *hara here, from this side; compare Old High German hera, Middle Dutch hare) + -asse augmentative or pejorative suffix < Latin -ācea
1610–20; < French, Middle French harasser to harry, harass, v. derivative of harace, harache (in phrase courre a la harace pursue) = hare cry used to urge dogs on (< Frankish *hara here, from this side; compare Old High German hera, Middle Dutch hare) + -asse augmentative or pejorative suffix < Latin -ācea
Related forms
ha·rass·a·ble, adjective
ha·rass·er, noun
ha·rass·ing·ly, adverb
ha·rass·ment, noun
o·ver·har·ass, verb (used with object)
EXPANDun·ha·rassed, adjective
COLLAPSEPronunciation note
harass, a 17th-century French borrowing, has traditionally been pronounced
[har-uhs] , with stress on the first syllable. A newer pronunciation, [huh-ras], has developed in North American (but not British) English. While this newer pronunciation is sometimes criticized by older educated speakers, it has become the more common one in the U.S., especially among younger educated speakers, some of whom have only minimal familiarity with the older form.
harass, a 17th-century French borrowing, has traditionally been pronounced
[har-uhs] , with stress on the first syllable. A newer pronunciation, [huh-ras], has developed in North American (but not British) English. While this newer pronunciation is sometimes criticized by older educated speakers, it has become the more common one in the U.S., especially among younger educated speakers, some of whom have only minimal familiarity with the older form.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Harass
is one of our favorite verbs.
So is lollygag. Does it mean:
| to chew (food) slowly and thoroughly. |
| to spend time idly; loaf. |
Example Sentences
- Collection agencies harass workers at their places of employment, threatening their jobs.
- They watch other birds fish, then harass them until they drop their catches.
- If I were to get harassed on a website, i would simply report the person who is harassing me.
Collins
World English Dictionary
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
harass
1618, from Fr. harasser "tire out, vex," possibly from O.Fr. harer "set a dog on," and perhaps blended with O.Fr. harier "to harry, draw, drag." Originally "to lay waste, devastate," sense of "distress" is from 1656.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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