— harassable , adj. — harasser , n. — harassingly , adv. — harassment , n.
/heuh ras", har"euhs/ , v.t.
1. to disturb persistently; torment, as with troubles or cares; bother continually; pester; persecute.
2. to trouble by repeated attacks, incursions, etc., as in war or hostilities; harry; raid.
[ 1610-20; harasser to harry, harass, v. der. of harace, harache (in phrase courre a la harace pursue) = hare cry used to urge dogs on ( *hara here, from this side; cf. OHG hera, MD hare ) + -asse aug. or pejorative suffix -acea ]
Syn. 1. badger, vex, plague, hector torture. See worry. 2. molest.
Pronunciation . HARASS, a 17th-century French borrowing, has traditionally been pronounced /har"euhs/ , with stress on the first syllable. A newer pronunciation, /heuh ras"/ , has developed in North American (but not British) English. While this newer pronunciation is sometimes criticized by older educated speakers, it has become the more common one in the U.S., especially among younger educated speakers, some of whom have only minimal familiarity with the older form.