harry

verb

Definition of harrynext
1
as in to sack

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2
as in to harass

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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

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 harry For newbies: Orphaned after the death of their parents, 6-year-old Lilo (Maia Kealoha), ostracized at school, is being raised by her devoted but harried teenage sister Nani (Sydney Agudong), nearing the age of adult guardianship. —Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 21 May 2025 These broken objects, and others like them, feed into my general sense of being harried, overburdened, and middle-aged. —Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 6 May 2025 Here’s how the individual snaps were divided: Quarterback: Brock Purdy 59, Joshua Dobbs 5 One of the pregame storylines was how harried Purdy might be behind a makeshift offensive line. —Matt Barrows, The Athletic, 31 Dec. 2024 Bullets, bombs and electronic warfare harry both man and machine. —Colin Demarest, Axios, 5 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for harry
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harry
  1. sack
  2. harass
  3. plunder
  4. scold
  5. loot
  6. savage
  7. destroy
  8. revile
Verb
  • This is the first time a studio has put tickets for sale this early in advance, but considering Nolan has a loyal army of fans large enough to sack a city, there certainly won’t be any shortage of uptake.
    — Benny Har-Even, Forbes.com, 16 July 2025
  • Red Bull driver Max Verstappen backed former boss Christian Horner before he got sacked by the higher-ups at the racing team.
    — Nelson Espinal, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 July 2025
Definition of sack
Verb
  • She has been harassed, and her family name has been thrown all around the internet.
    — Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 19 July 2025
  • This includes instances where Dashers harass customers for a tip.
    — Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 July 2025
Definition of harass
Verb
  • Although the passengers managed to swim or be hauled on ropes to shore, much of the ship’s cargo—which included tea, brandy, nails, iron, and Wright’s paintings—was lost, washed out of the ship’s hold and either plundered by a passing privateer and people living nearby or sunk below the waves.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 July 2025
  • The British Museum has many artifacts in its collection which were plundered during imperial and colonial eras, and are contested.
    — Lauren Frayer, NPR, 11 July 2025
Definition of plunder
Verb
  • Whether this comes off as a joke or as an invitation for scolding (spoken or unspoken, loving or otherwise) depends entirely on the other Muslims in the room.
    — Hanif Abdurraqib, New Yorker, 13 July 2025
  • But there was a time Emily Deschanel, who played the meticulous forensic anthropologist through 12 seasons of Bones, got scolded for being just that — and the memory still makes the star emotional.
    — EW.com, EW.com, 12 July 2025
Definition of scold
Verb
  • In fact, the entire original Potlatch Club, once a 1960s and ‘70s hideaway for elites and celebrities — including Greta Garbo, Cliff Robertson and Richard Widmark — had been swallowed up by nature, looted, lashed by hurricane winds and long forgotten.
    — Norma Meyer, Oc Register, 9 July 2025
  • Stores in downtown Los Angeles were broken into and looted, and some of the downtown area was vandalized with anti-ICE and anti-Trump graffiti.
    — Peter D'Abrosca, FOXNews.com, 18 June 2025
Definition of loot
Verb
  • But DeGeneres ultimately refuted the claims that savaged her career.
    — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 23 June 2025
  • Rarely has a wide release been more savaged by critics, sitting at 0 percent on Rotten Tomatoes for a long time.
    — Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 13 June 2025
Definition of savage
Verb
  • In return, he was allowed to effectively destroy a nature site of great conservation value.
    — Kim Hjelmgaard, USA Today, 26 July 2025
  • Trump also is destroying the Games’ potential upside.
    — Joe Mathews, Mercury News, 25 July 2025
Definition of destroy
Verb
  • In his native Germany, he was reviled by the Nazis as a degenerate artist.
    — Celia Bell July 22, Literary Hub, 22 July 2025
  • Every post, every public appearance, is thus grounds for psychoanalysis, a reaction that Bieber seems to both cultivate and revile.
    — Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 16 July 2025
Definition of revile

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Cite this Entry

“Harry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harry. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

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