harry

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb harry contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of harry are annoy, harass, pester, plague, tease, and worry. While all these words mean "to disturb or irritate by persistent acts," harry may imply heavy oppression or maltreatment.

the strikers had been harried by thugs

When can annoy be used instead of harry?

The words annoy and harry are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, annoy implies disturbing one's composure or peace of mind by intrusion, interference, or petty attacks.

you're doing that just to annoy me

Where would harass be a reasonable alternative to harry?

While the synonyms harass and harry are close in meaning, harass implies petty persecutions or burdensome demands that exhaust one's nervous or mental power.

harassed on all sides by creditors

When might pester be a better fit than harry?

The words pester and harry can be used in similar contexts, but pester stresses the repetition of petty attacks.

constantly pestered with trivial complaints

When would plague be a good substitute for harry?

The synonyms plague and harry are sometimes interchangeable, but plague implies a painful and persistent affliction.

plagued all her life by poverty

When is it sensible to use tease instead of harry?

While in some cases nearly identical to harry, tease suggests an attempt to break down one's resistance or rouse to wrath.

children teased the dog

In what contexts can worry take the place of harry?

The meanings of worry and harry largely overlap; however, worry implies an incessant goading or attacking that drives one to desperation.

pursued a policy of worrying the enemy

Examples 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 harry The lunchtime atmosphere at Pizzeria Lugano is harried by the frequent rejiggering of tables to squeeze in the line of strollers that snake toward the patio. Carley Thornell, Robb Report, 1 Aug. 2024 Ukraine has also harried Moscow with strikes aimed mainly at Russian energy installations — mirroring, though at a far smaller scale, the destructive Russian attacks aimed at Ukraine’s power grid. Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024 She's bolstered by an adult supporting cast including a luminous, yet harried Rachel McAdams as her mother, Barbara; Bennie Safdie as her nebbish, loving father, Herb; and Kathy Bates as Margaret's boisterous, affectionate grandmother. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 11 July 2023 The river is just a few miles wide, but Russian artillery, bombs and explosive drones harry the Ukrainian boats by day and night. David Axe, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 See all Example Sentences for harry 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harry
Verb
  • The Rams sacked him seven times in their overtime win last Sunday.
    Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 16 Nov. 2024
  • The Titans’ best chance to score was snuffed out near the end of the first half when Mountain View’s Kaitlyn Liddle roared in to sack sophomore quarterback Kelsey Peterson.
    Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post, 2 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • Where the accuser argues that a supervisor has engaged in harassing conduct, the need to undertake an investigation into claims remains just as legally significant.
    Gabriella Levine, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024
  • Sullivan didn’t find this evidence indicative of an intent by Oakley to harass, as there’s no evidence Oakley responded or otherwise endorsed the texts.
    Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 25 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • The rest of the Lakota belongings were plundered or burned.
    Tim Madigan, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Oct. 2024
  • The limited series had already plundered the precursor Creative Arts Emmys on Sept. 8, taking a 14 awards, already a record for a drama in a single season.
    Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 16 Sep. 2024
Verb
  • Still, watching Hannah scold him about everything, from 401(k)s to boiling water to phone bills, from ordering him to walk a dog that doesn’t belong to him to telling him that riding hotel pool furniture would give her the ick, was painful.
    Alex Abad-Santos, Vox, 31 Oct. 2024
  • Dolores returns to scold her grandson for badmouthing her during the show’s Día de los Muertos episode, which airs on NBC on Friday, Oct. 25.
    Brendan Le, People.com, 25 Oct. 2024
Verb
  • Recent decades have seen the repatriation of Khmer artifacts from abroad, some of which were looted in the 1970s during the period of violence and instability under the communist Khmer Rouge regime, per the Associated Press.
    Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Nov. 2024
  • Since 2022, the detainees are believed to have looted millions of euros and run up a similar amount in property damage, from 2022 to 2024, Europol said.
    Sophie Tanno, CNN, 27 Oct. 2024
Verb
  • Now that Hurricanes Helene and Milton have savaged countless homes on the Gulf Coast and across Central and South Florida, perennial post-storm questions are again being raised among beleaguered homeowners: Is now the time to get out for good?
    David Lyons, Sun Sentinel, 24 Oct. 2024
  • The Score also has the Bulls’ rights and Friedell, a former Bulls beat writer, savages them too.
    Jon Greenberg, The Athletic, 13 Aug. 2024
Verb
  • Homes, roads and community spaces in the path of Helene have been destroyed.
    Patricia McIlreavy, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
  • The protagonist Skif goes to Chernobyl on a mission to imbue the artifact left by the anomaly that destroyed his home with residual energy that radiates throughout the Zone.
    Issy van der Velde, Rolling Stone, 20 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • Though mainstream parties often revile these policies and rhetoric, they have been nudged toward them by the electoral threat looming on their rightward flank.
    Alexander Smith, NBC News, 13 Oct. 2024
  • The city was also home to Father Charles Coughlin, a Catholic priest who reviled Jews and spread antisemitic rhetoric during his radio show – which at its height was heard by perhaps 40 million people.
    Robert Gudmestad, The Conversation, 3 Oct. 2024

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Cite this Entry

“Harry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harry. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

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