Harasses

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To repeatedly trouble someone with aggressive or unwanted actions that create discomfort and stress
2. To continually subject a person to annoying or oppressive behavior that causes distress
3. To repeatedly impose unwanted or hostile attention on someone, resulting in discomfort

Etymology: "Harass" began as a command shouted at hunting dogs. The Old French verb "harer" meant "to set a dog on," and it likely came from a Frankish word "hara," meaning "here," used to urge a dog toward its quarry. From there the verb "harasser" in Old French came to mean "to exhaust, tire out, wear out," and then "to harry, torment, vex," so the modern sense of persistent badgering grew out of the image of a pack chasing an animal until it tired. The Middle French "harasser" carried that sense of wearing down into English, where the word keeps the idea of repeated pressure that wears a target out rather than a single sharp blow. The word "harasses" is simply the third-person singular present form of this verb, describing one person or thing doing the wearing down.

Synonyms: bothers, persecutes, disturbs

Antonyms: comforts, soothes, supports