1
: a heated often protracted argument : wrangle
embroiling myself in a long, exasperating hassle with masons—
S. J. Perelman
S. J. Perelman2
: a violent skirmish : fight
3
a
: a state of confusion : turmoil
all hassle and hurly-burly—Ellery Queen
Ellery Queen
b
: an annoying or troublesome concern
avoid the hassle of filling out paperwork
flight delays and other hassles of holiday travel
too much of a hassle to bother with
Examples of hassle in a Sentence
Noun
All this paperwork is a hassle.
They've had to deal with flight delays and all of the other hassles of holiday travel.
He got into a hassle with his landlord.
Verb
Other kids were always hassling her because she was overweight.
I'm sick of being hassled by telemarketers.
I don't have time to hassle with you about this! Just do what I tell you to do!
Recent Examples on the Web
Caroline Ceniza-Levine, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
Despite the natural hassle that comes with packed airports and crowded planes, most travelers will still take the trip, according to Tomasz Pawliszyn, CEO of AirHelp, an online service that helps travelers seek compensation when plans are disrupted.
—Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 23 May 2025
George Caulkin, New York Times, 12 May 2025
No, no one wants to hassle poor folks and in fact, poor folks are much more likely to be the ones suffering from the anti-social behavior that is pouring in as 311 complaints.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hassle
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
Or your manager doesn’t want the hassle of having to replace you.
—Caroline Ceniza-Levine, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
Despite the natural hassle that comes with packed airports and crowded planes, most travelers will still take the trip, according to Tomasz Pawliszyn, CEO of AirHelp, an online service that helps travelers seek compensation when plans are disrupted.
—Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 23 May 2025
Verb
And so there was Tonali harrying and hassling from the off.
—George Caulkin, New York Times, 12 May 2025
No, no one wants to hassle poor folks and in fact, poor folks are much more likely to be the ones suffering from the anti-social behavior that is pouring in as 311 complaints.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hassle
Cite this Entry
“Hassle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hassle. Accessed 7 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hassle
1 of 2 verb
has·sle
ˈhas-əl 
hassled; hassling
-(ə-)liŋ
1
: argue sense 2, dispute
hassled with the umpire
2
: to annoy continuously : harass
hassle
2 of 2 nounLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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