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
  • Wang was appointed chair of Cupertino’s Planning Commission in 2019, but was ousted from his post last year following accusations of harassing community members and city officials.
    Stephanie Lam, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
  • Advertisement More than third of election officials surveyed this year by the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law said they have been harassed, threatened or abused for carrying out their work.
    Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • A week after Helene smashed into the Southeast, power outages, water shortages and impassable roads stymie recovery Tropical systems, of course, can plunder coastlines.
    Sharif Paget, CNN, 3 Oct. 2024
  • And neither Coppola nor Snyder deals with how ideologues have plundered the West.
    Armond White, National Review, 9 Oct. 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
  • Hudson was one of the relievers the Yankees savaged on Tuesday night.
    Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 30 Oct. 2024
  • Her 2001 memoir, A Life’s Work, was savaged by the British press for its frank portrayal of the desolation of early motherhood.
    Andrea Long Chu, Vulture, 28 June 2024
Verb
  • Approximately 40 firefighters responded to the blaze, which was first reported at 11:43 a.m., destroyed one building, damaged at least three others, and downed utility wires along 17th Street.
    Ryan Macasero, The Mercury News, 10 Nov. 2024
  • The fire destroyed an apartment building near Ammons Street and West 12th Avenue, killing two cats and displacing four people, according to West Metro Fire Rescue.
    Katie Langford, The Denver Post, 8 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 22 Nov. 2024.

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