harass

Intermediatezipf 3.28

Pronunciation

/ˈhærəs/ or /həˈræs/(HAR-us or huh-RAS)

Part of speech

verbneutral

Chinese

骚扰；不断困扰

Definition

To subject someone to aggressive pressure, unwanted attention, or intimidation repeatedly.

Word family

  • harassment/ˈhærəsmənt/(n)骚扰
  • harasser/ˈhærəsə/(n)骚扰者

Collocations

  • sexual harassment
  • workplace harassment
  • harass online
  • stop harassing

Examples

  1. 1.She reported her manager for workplace harassment. (repeated abuse)
  2. 2.Trolls harassed the journalist with death threats online. (cyber)

Synonyms

  • bully/ˈbʊli/— intimidate the weak
  • persecute/ˈpɜːsɪkjuːt/— systematically oppress
  • torment/ˈtɔːmɛnt/— cause severe suffering

Etymology

from French "harasser" = to tire out, exhaust — originally meant to wear someone down