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persecute

 - 2 dictionary results

per⋅se⋅cute

  [pur-si-kyoot]
Use persecute in a Sentence
–verb (used with object), -cut⋅ed, -cut⋅ing.
1. to pursue with harassing or oppressive treatment, esp. because of religion, race, or beliefs; harass persistently.
2. to annoy or trouble persistently.
Origin:
1400–50; late ME; back formation from persecutour persecutor ≪ LL persecūtor orig. prosecutor, equiv. to persecū-, var. s. of persequī to prosecute, pursue closely (see per-, sequence ) + -tor -tor

Related forms:
per⋅se⋅cut⋅ing⋅ly, adverb
per⋅se⋅cu⋅tive, adjective
per⋅se⋅cu⋅tive⋅ness, noun
per⋅se⋅cu⋅tor, noun
per⋅se⋅cu⋅to⋅ry  [pur-si-kyoo-tuh-ree, -kyuh-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee] , adjective

Synonyms:
1. afflict, torture, torment. 2. worry, badger, vex, bother, pester.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To persecute
per·se·cute   (pûr'sĭ-kyōōt')   
tr.v.   per·se·cut·ed, per·se·cut·ing, per·se·cutes

  1. To oppress or harass with ill-treatment, especially because of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or beliefs.

  2. To annoy persistently; bother.


[Middle English, from Old French persecuter, back-formation from persecuteur, persecutor, from Late Latin persecūtor, from persecūtus, past participle of persequī, to persecute, from Latin, to pursue : per-, per- + sequī, to follow; see sekw-1 in Indo-European roots.]
per'se·cu·tee' (-kyōō-tē') n., per'se·cu'tive, per'se·cu·to'ry (-kyŏŏ-tôr'ē, -tōr'ē, -kyōō'tə-rē) adj., per'se·cu'tor n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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