Harassment - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

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SKIP TO CONTENT harassment /həˈræsmɪnt/ /ˈhʌræsmənt/ IPA guide

Other forms: harassments

If someone is abusing, insulting, or otherwise harming you on a regular basis, it's called harassment. Cruel and usually really annoying, harassment is also illegal in some cases.

Harassment is a word that describes any kind of ongoing torment. At school, harassment is often known as bullying. In the workplace, employees need to be careful about sexual harassment. Harassment involves persistent attacks or abuse, and can range from shouting racial slurs to crank calling your ex-boyfriend every night at 3am. Even teasing your kid sister about her braces could be considered harassment.

Definitions of harassment

noun the act of tormenting by continued persistent attacks and criticism synonyms: molestation see moresee less types: show 6 types... hide 6 types... baiting harassment especially of a tethered animal badgering, bedevilment, torment, worrying the act of harassing someone sexual harassment unwelcome sexual behavior by a supervisor toward an employee ribbing, tantalization, tease, teasing the act of harassing someone playfully or maliciously (especially by ridicule); provoking someone with persistent annoyances witch-hunt searching out and harassing dissenters McCarthyism unscrupulously accusing people of disloyalty (as by saying they were Communists) type of: mistreatment the practice of treating (someone or something) badly
noun a feeling of intense annoyance caused by being tormented “so great was his harassment that he wanted to destroy his tormentors” synonyms: torment see moresee less type of: annoyance, chafe, vexation anger produced by some annoying irritation

Pronunciation US /həˈræsmɪnt/ UK /ˈhʌræsmənt/ Cite this entry Style: MLA

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Copy citation DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘harassment'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback Word Family

Vocabulary lists containing harassment

Word Generation Weekly - Series 3

Word Generation Weekly, a multidisciplinary program for teachers to implement in their classrooms, combines vocabulary with discussion and debate of various dilemmas. Here are links to the word lists for Word Generation Weekly: Series 1, Series 2, Series 3.

Articles on Bullying view more about the vocabulary list

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