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 With the new season, eight episodes have contracted down to only six, and in the process the show at times feels as harried and overscheduled as Kate so often is throughout her various misadventures. Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 31 Oct. 2024 The ensemble, particularly Kevin Del Aguila, makes all kinds of mischief, and Kim excels at seeming harried. Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2024 While Clark says these threats can be mitigated through security control policies and configurations, such as multifactor authentication (MFA), these introduce extra steps that harried guests may not always want to jump through. Kevin Williams, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2024 Popular on Variety Curtis (Cho) and Meredith (Waterston) are devoted if harried suburban parents to three subadult offspring with problems typical for their age. Dennis Harvey, Variety, 30 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for harry 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harry
Verb
  • He was not sacked in the game, and Washington was 3-for-4 on fourth-down conversion attempts.
    Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 23 Jan. 2025
  • Jalen Hurts has been sacked on 18 percent of pass plays.
    Michael Salfino, The Athletic, 23 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • The family ended up moving after being harassed by constant visitors at their home.
    Kait Hanson, Glamour, 18 Jan. 2025
  • Mark is also frequently harassed by his boss, Harmony Cobel (Patricia Arquette), and sent to the break room.
    Skyler Trepel, People.com, 17 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Fishing fleets hailing mostly from East Asia and Europe are plundering the southwest Indian Ocean, which spans from Kenya to the South African coast and includes Madagascar's waters.
    Sira Thierij, NPR, 26 Dec. 2024
  • All three were plundered by thieves in ancient and medieval times, so many of the items originally left are no longer there.
    Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 18 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Those opinions are usually punctuated by scolding those who do not immediately comply.
    Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 23 Jan. 2025
  • The Anti-Defamation League is scolding Elon Musk after coming to the billionaire titan’s defense earlier in the week.
    James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • With the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas taking effect, aid convoys seemed to enter Gaza without issues, and no attempts at stealing or looting the aid were reported on Sunday or Monday, according to Juliette Touma, a spokeswoman for the main U.N. agency that assists Palestinians.
    Hiba Yazbek, New York Times, 20 Jan. 2025
  • Residents remain barred from certain parts of Los Angeles, as authorities work to bring back utilities (and worry about looting).
    Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY, 16 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Morning Joe savaged for meeting with Trump, liberals boycott MSNBC?!
    The Hill, The Hill, 25 Dec. 2024
  • Late Night With the Devil (2023) The most recent film on this list flashes back to the same era of media sensationalism savaged by the earliest.
    A.A. Dowd, Vulture, 30 July 2024
Verb
  • This year, however, will be a much more muted affair, as the Palisades and Eaton Fires have destroyed thousands of homes, killed 25 people and forced more than 150,000 residents to evacuate.
    Ethan Millman, Rolling Stone, 15 Jan. 2025
  • Some 12,000 structures — buildings and cars — have been destroyed so far, and with them many tons of property of all levels of sentimental meaning.
    Steven Zeitchik, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • While Winker might have been reviled by other fans around the league, the 31-year-old was embraced by Mets fans for his style of play and his personality on and off the field.
    Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 16 Jan. 2025
  • Many in the region are asking: could the Islamic theocracy in Iran, reviled by its people and a cancer upon the world, be next?
    Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 8 Dec. 2024

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Cite this Entry

“Harry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harry. Accessed 28 Jan. 2025.

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