harass
ha·rass/həˈɹæs/verb
harass is spelled H-A-R-A-S-S: 6 letters and 2 syllables (ha·rass). It appears 1.9 times per million words in written English, the 20,101st most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, harass means “To annoy (someone) frequently or systematically; to pester” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in harass?
| Letters | 6: H-A-R-A-S-S |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: ha·rass |
| In writing | 1.9 times per million words; the 20,101st most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is harass?
Harass appears 1.9 times per million words in written English, the 20,101st most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce harass?
- US /həˈɹæs/
- /ˈhæɹəs/
Harass has 2 syllables, split ha·rass in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-harass.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with harass?
10 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as harass from its last stressed vowel (/æs/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of harass
- harasses present, singular, he/she/it
- harassing participle, present
- harassed participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does harass mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To annoy (someone) frequently or systematically; to pester.
- 2
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.
- 3
To put excessive burdens upon (someone); to subject (someone) to anxieties.
To harass good people is no different than speaking ill of them.
- 4
To trouble (someone, or a group of people) through repeated military-style attacks.
- 5
obsoleteOften followed by out: to fatigue or tire (someone) with exhausting and repeated efforts.
noun
- 1
archaicHarassment; pestering.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Harass in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | harceler |
| German | belästigen , quälen, verfolgen |
| Portuguese | assediar, incomodar, molestar |
| Spanish | acosar, hostigar, asicar , asediar |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does harass come from?
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.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).