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harass

[ huh-ras, har-uhs ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

verb (used with object)

to disturb or bother persistently; torment, as with troubles or cares; pester:
He stays up late, harassed with doubt and anxiety.
Synonyms: , , , ,
to intimidate or coerce, as with persistent demands or threats:
Apparently a parent has been harassing the school principal with late-night phone calls.
to subject to unwelcome sexual advances:
I was harassed by my boss many years ago.
to trouble by repeated attacks, incursions, etc., as in war or hostilities; harry; raid.
Synonyms: ,

harass

/ ˈhærəs; həˈræs /

verb

tr to trouble, torment, or confuse by continual persistent attacks, questions, etc

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Pronunciation Note

harass , a 17th-century borrowing from French, has traditionally been pronounced in English as [har, -, uh, s], with stress on the first syllable. A newer pronunciation, [h, uh, -, ras], has developed in North American (but not British) English and has become the more common one in the U.S., especially among younger speakers.

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Derived Forms

ˈ�󲹰��Բ�, adjectivenoun
ˈ�󲹰��Գ�, noun
ˈ�󲹰��, adjective

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Other Word Forms

��·��a·�� adjective
��·���� noun
��·��i�Բ�·�� adverb
��·��m��Գ� noun
��v��·�󲹰�a�� verb (used with object)
�ܲ�·��·�� adjective

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Word History and Origins

Origin of harass¹

First recorded in 1610–20; from French, Middle French harasser “to harry, harass,” verbal derivative of harace, harache (in phrase courre a la harace “pursue”), equivalent to hare “cry used to urge dogs on” (from Frankish hara (unattested) “here, from this side”; compare Old High German hera, Middle Dutch hare ) + -asse augmentative or pejorative suffix, from Latin -�峦��

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Word History and Origins

Origin of harass¹

C17: from French harasser, variant of Old French harer to set a dog on, of Germanic origin; compare Old High German �󲹰�ŧ�� to cry out

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Synonym Study

See worry.

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

A spokesperson for Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's National Conference party said several videos showing students being harassed in colleges and other places were being circulated online.

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And even when people are present to harass the wolves, these ranches are so large that it’s impossible for them to be everywhere at once.

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In the clip, Mace repeatedly dodges a question about upcoming town halls and asks when the man she's speaking to will stop "harassing" her.

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He was clear that trans people are a "vulnerable and often harassed minority", who "struggle against discrimination and prejudice as they seek to live their lives with dignity".

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The students, who ranged in age from 8 to 10 at the time of the abuse, had reported that their teacher, Joseph Baldenebro, inappropriately touched, assaulted or harassed them while they attended Miramonte Elementary School.

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Related Words

Harare harassment

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