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 of harry in a Sentence

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Recent Examples on the Web Ukraine has also harried Moscow with strikes aimed mainly at Russian energy installations — mirroring, though at a far smaller scale, the destructive Russian attacks aimed at Ukraine’s power grid. Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024 She's bolstered by an adult supporting cast including a luminous, yet harried Rachel McAdams as her mother, Barbara; Bennie Safdie as her nebbish, loving father, Herb; and Kathy Bates as Margaret's boisterous, affectionate grandmother. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 11 July 2023 The river is just a few miles wide, but Russian artillery, bombs and explosive drones harry the Ukrainian boats by day and night. David Axe, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 While Jack's most romantic gesture involved not murdering everyone's favorite harried personal assistant, Woodall steps up his heartthrob game for the upcoming Netflix adaptation of David Nicholls’ best-selling romance, One Day. Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 8 Feb. 2024 See all Example Sentences for harry 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harry
Verb
  • Herbert was sacked six times in the first half, including three by the Browns’ menacing Myles Garrett.
    Elliott Teaford, Orange County Register, 4 Nov. 2024
  • He was sacked twice to help the Titans kill drives, including taking a 19-yard loss on the Bears’ second series.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 4 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • In an application for a restraining order, which was granted by a judge, a woman alleged that Ali harassed, bullied and threatened her.
    Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2024
  • In an August 2023 interview with People, LaPaglia confessed that Bryan fans were harassing her.
    CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 29 Oct. 2024
Verb
  • A week after Helene smashed into the Southeast, power outages, water shortages and impassable roads stymie recovery Tropical systems, of course, can plunder coastlines.
    Sharif Paget, CNN, 3 Oct. 2024
  • And neither Coppola nor Snyder deals with how ideologues have plundered the West.
    Armond White, National Review, 9 Oct. 2024
Verb
  • Still, watching Hannah scold him about everything, from 401(k)s to boiling water to phone bills, from ordering him to walk a dog that doesn’t belong to him to telling him that riding hotel pool furniture would give her the ick, was painful.
    Alex Abad-Santos, Vox, 31 Oct. 2024
  • Dolores returns to scold her grandson for badmouthing her during the show’s Día de los Muertos episode, which airs on NBC on Friday, Oct. 25.
    Brendan Le, People.com, 25 Oct. 2024
Verb
  • Key Background Fear of unrest and looting in Washington, D.C. and elsewhere lingers after unrest was recorded following the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections, including the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, as well as the protests following the police killing of George Floyd in 2020.
    Conor Murray, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
  • Some say that, in taking the material, the French looted something intangible: the Beninese people’s chance at seeing themselves in a larger historical context and not just through the gaze of white victimizers.
    Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • The bottom line: Trump made a push for union votes by savaging one of labor's most respected leaders.
    Emily Peck, Axios, 19 July 2024
  • In Instagram posts, WhatsApp group chats and TikTok videos, influential voices savaged the solid-gold watch over its appearance and cost.
    Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 2 Oct. 2024
Verb
  • Approximately 40 firefighters responded to the blaze, which was first reported at 11:43 a.m., destroyed one building, damaged at least three others, and downed utility wires along 17th Street.
    Ryan Macasero, The Mercury News, 10 Nov. 2024
  • The fire destroyed an apartment building near Ammons Street and West 12th Avenue, killing two cats and displacing four people, according to West Metro Fire Rescue.
    Katie Langford, The Denver Post, 8 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • To say that Wallis was reviled would be an understatement.
    Rachel Burchfield, People.com, 28 Oct. 2024
  • One more paragraph: The first response of many to the destruction of New Orleans and other areas was to revile George Bush — and conservatism and Republicans and much else.
    Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 10 Oct. 2024

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Cite this Entry

“Harry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harry. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.

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