harassing 1 of 2

adjective

1
as in frightening

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2
as in annoying

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harassing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of harass
as in killing
to use up all the physical energy of had been visibly harassed by the demands of the presidency

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of harassing
Adjective
Then Clark put on a dribbling clinic, made nifty pass after nifty pass and became both a harassing presence on defense and the Fever's emotional leader during a 20-6 second-quarter run. — ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026 The first complaint, in which a clerk made similar accusations of abusive and harassing conduct, was filed with the circuit court in 2022, not long after Merriam’s appointment. — Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 1 Jan. 2026 The line is crossed when someone’s conduct at work becomes disrespectful, harassing, intimidating, discriminatory, or disruptive to the team. — Johnny C. Taylor Jr, USA Today, 30 Dec. 2025
Verb
From harassing Brady over his divorce from Gisele Bündchen on social media to trying to be a rapper and much more, Brown’s post-football life has been one filled with public outbursts and controversial statements and stunts. — Scott Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026 The league is also partnering with a third-party service provider to help monitor and control harassing messages. — Jessica Golden,contessa Brewer, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026 There is no excuse for harassing or racially intimidating a family. — Karma Sabbah, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026 In 2011, former President Barack Obama signed a law removing wolves in the Northern Rocky Mountains from the endangered species list, a change that removed federal prohibitions on killing or harassing them in that region. — Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 14 Oct. 2026 Since Clarkson's online posts were shared, Rubin said Art of Play has been flooded with backlash, including harassing messages and negative reviews. — ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026 Kirschner said that his staff has been overwhelmed with homeless individuals causing property damage and harassing customers. — Melody Xu, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026 The host played an alcoholic cop hosting a talk show, harassing his guests and violating their civil liberties along with his partner, Mikey Day. — Charu Sinha, Vulture, 11 Oct. 2026 Federal authorities on Thursday charged a Boston-area man with harassing Katie Miller, the conservative podcaster and wife of senior White House aide Stephen Miller, in a case that sparked a heated debate among prosecutors and within the FBI. — Jeremy Roebuck, Washington Post, 1 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harassing
  1. frightening
  2. annoying
  3. killing
  4. persecutory
  5. pestiferous
  6. wearing
  7. chilling
  8. inquisitive
Adjective
  • There is nothing more frightening than when the familiar starts acting strange, in movies or in life.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
  • And with Halloween nearly upon us, the question of what frightening, shocking, silly, classic, or demonically camp movies to press play on again (and again) has never been more pertinent.
    — Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of frightening
Adjective
  • McCartney said of his note to Mendes about the height imbalance, wondering how the director will rectify this annoying, historic aberration.
    — Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Something in your routine, schedule, or workload may feel disproportionately annoying or demanding, especially if too many little things pile up at once.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of annoying
Verb
  • Authorities are investigating what led a 16-year-old shooter to force entry into his former elementary school in Bend, Oregon, and fire into a special needs classroom on Thursday, killing three children and a young teacher.
    — Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Over the next seven years, Saudi Arabia carried out waves of airstrikes against the Houthis, often killing civilians.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of killing
Adjective
  • For example, Americans living during World War II developed persecutory delusions involving Germans, while those living during the Cold War focused on communists.
    — Alaina Vandervoort Burns, The Conversation, 17 Dec. 2025
Definition of persecutory
Adjective
  • After the Thirty Years’ War (1618-48), the Dutch were probably eager for reminders of ordinary domestic life, even pestiferous ones, and for images of quiet and tenderness.
    — Willard Spiegelman, WSJ, 18 Aug. 2017
  • Disease relies on a variety of pestiferous vectors for the transmission of infective bacteria.
    — Rebecca Kreston, Discover Magazine, 31 May 2016
Definition of pestiferous
Verb
  • Jackson had not been reported missing The man had been wearing a button-down short-sleeve shirt, light blue jeans, a silver wristwatch and blue-and-white tennis shoes.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Temperatures are not conducive to actors wearing wool coats and scarves, and the snow on the ground is going to be added in post.
    — Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of wearing
Adjective
  • Neither maudlin nor melodramatic, and without any glorification, the song is infected by the same chilling gloom which has glommed onto the best of Messrs Linkous, Berman, and Drake.
    — Gabriel Szatan, Pitchfork, 18 Oct. 2026
  • As Hal puts it the next morning, the chilling effect is very effective.
    — Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of chilling
Adjective
  • In the first, a best-selling mystery author dies, and Benoit Blanc, a charismatic and inquisitive private eye played by Daniel Craig, must investigate.
    — New York Times, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Even behind the anchor desk, Rather’s inquisitive manner and reporter’s instincts for confrontation were well known.
    — Walter Podrazik, The Conversation, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of inquisitive

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harassing
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Cite this Entry

“Harassing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harassing. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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