Added 9 October 2026
harass
/həˈɹæs/ verb
In Latin: vexō Wiktionary
verb Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about harass at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- To annoy (someone) frequently or systematically; to pester.
- To persistently bother (someone, or a group of people) physically or psychologically when such behaviour is illegal and/or unwanted, especially over an extended period.
-
To put excessive burdens upon (someone); to subject (someone) to anxieties.
To harass good people is no different than speaking ill of them.
noun
Origin
The verb is derived from Middle French, Old French harasser (“to exhaust, tire out, wear out; to harry, torment, vex”) (modern French harasser (“to exhaust, tire out, wear out”)), possibly from Old French harer (“to set a dog on”), from Frankish *hara (“here, hither”) (a command for a dog to attack), from Proto-Germanic *hē₂r (“here, in this place”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱe (“here; this”) + *ís (“the (person or thing just named)”) + *-r. The noun is derived from the verb.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)