harass

ha·rass  (h-rs, hrs)

tr.v. ha·rassed, ha·rass·ing, ha·rass·es

1. To irritate or torment persistently.

2. To wear out; exhaust.

3. To impede and exhaust (an enemy) by repeated attacks or raids.

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[French harasser, possibly from Old French harer, to set a dog on, from hare, interj. used to set a dog on, of Germanic origin.]

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ha·rasser n.

ha·rassment n.

Synonyms: harass, harry, hound, badger, pester, plague
These verbs mean to trouble persistently or incessantly. Harass and harry imply systematic persecution by besieging with repeated annoyances, threats, or demands: The landlord harassed tenants who were behind in their rent. A rude customer had harried the storekeeper.
Hound suggests unrelenting pursuit to gain a desired end: Reporters hounded the celebrity for an interview.
To badger is to nag or tease persistently: The child badgered his parents for a new bicycle.
To pester is to inflict a succession of petty annoyances: "How she would have pursued and pestered me with questions and surmises" Charlotte Brontë.
Plague refers to a problem likened to an epidemic disease: "As I have no estate, I am plagued with no tenants or stewards" Henry Fielding.

Usage Note: Educated usage appears to be evenly divided on the pronunciation of harass. In a recent survey 50 percent of the Usage Panel preferred stressing the first syllable, while 50 percent preferred stressing the second. Curiously, the Panelists' comments appear to indicate that each side regards itself as an embattled minority.

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harass

Verb

to trouble or annoy (someone) by repeated attacks, questions, or problems [French harasser]

harassed adj
harassment n

Thesaurus

Verb	1.	harass - annoy continually or chronically; "He is known to harry his staff when he is overworked"; "This man harasses his female co-workers" beset, chevvy, chevy, chivvy, chivy, harry, hassle, molest, plague, provoke needle, goad - goad or provoke,as by constant criticism; "He needled her with his sarcastic remarks" annoy, devil, gravel, irritate, nark, rile, vex, nettle, rag, bother, chafe, get at, get to - cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations; "Mosquitoes buzzing in my ear really bothers me"; "It irritates me that she never closes the door after she leaves" bedevil, dun, rag, torment, frustrate, crucify - treat cruelly; "The children tormented the stuttering teacher" haze - harass by imposing humiliating or painful tasks, as in military institutions
	2.	harass - exhaust by attacking repeatedly; "harass the enemy" aggress, attack - take the initiative and go on the offensive; "The Serbs attacked the village at night"; "The visiting team started to attack"

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harass

verb annoy, trouble, bother, worry, harry, disturb, devil (informal) plague, bait, hound, torment, hassle (informal) badger, persecute, exasperate, pester, vex, breathe down someone's neck, chivvy Brit. give someone grief Brit., S. African be on your back (slang) beleaguer

Translations

harass [ˈhærəs] vt → acosar, hostigar

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harass [ˈhærəs] vt → accabler, tourmenter

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harass [ˈhærəs] vt → schikanieren

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harass [ˈhærəs] vt → molestare