harass
/həˈɹæs/ · verb
Meaning
- 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 trouble (someone, or a group of people) through repeated military-style attacks.
- Often followed by out: to fatigue or tire (someone) with exhausting and repeated efforts.
- Harassment; pestering.
Etymology / 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.
- *ḱe(ine-pro)→
- *hē₂r(gem-pro)→
- *hara(frk)→
- harer(fro)→
- harasser(French)→
- harasser(fro)→
- -(frm)→
- harass (English)
- Relations: der, der, cog, der, der, der, der
Related words
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