Synonyms for harass
Synonyms by meaning
Verb
1. Pester — to annoy (someone) frequently or systematically; to pester
molest, pester, annoy, plague, persecute, badger, harry, provoke, tease, antagonize, antagonise UK, hound, worry, beset, bother, disturb, irritate, besiege, bait, pick at, give someone grief, hector, perplex
2. Torment — to put excessive burdens upon (someone); to subject (someone) to anxieties
torment, trouble, afflict, distress, pain, wring, harrow, rack, aggrieve, rend, lacerate
Other
Definitions
- v. 1
To annoy (someone) frequently or systematically; to pester.
- v. 2
To put excessive burdens upon (someone); to subject (someone) to anxieties.
To harass good people is no different than speaking ill of them.
Forms
- Past participle
- harassed
e.g. harassed → molested, pestered, annoyed, plagued…
Example sentences
- badger The sultan does not like the badger and the badger the sultan.
- hound Spring over the ground like a hunting hound.
- pester We will pester him with heaps of questions.
- afflict My motto is: Comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| harass | rising | |
| badger | rising | |
| hound | rising | |
| pester | rising | |
| besiege | rising | |
| afflict | rising |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 4 letters
- pain1, bait1, rack1, rend
- 5 letters
- worry2, harry2, tease1, annoy2, hound1, beset2, wring1
- 6 letters
- bother2, plague1, hector2, badger2, harrow2, molest2, pester2
- 7 letters
- trouble2, disturb2, provoke2, torment2, besiege2, afflict2, perplex2
- 8 letters
- exercise3, distress2, irritate3, lacerate3, aggrieve2
- 9 letters
- persecute3
- 10 letters
- antagonize4, antagonise
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (worry2 = 2 syllables).
In other languages
- Français
- harceler
- Italiano
- assillare
- Español
- atormentar
- Deutsch
- zusetzen