harassment

harassment — noun

1. behaviour or comments directed at a person that are unwanted and repeated, makin

1.nounB2
Definition

behaviour or comments directed at a person that are unwanted and repeated, making them feel afraid, upset, or uncomfortable — for example, unwanted messages online, rude jokes in an office, or shouting at someone on the street.

Example

After months of harassment from a coworker, Selim finally reported the problem to a manager.

report + harassment (formal action)

Trang stopped using the forum because the online harassment she received there became too much.

online harassment (common modifier)

Common collocations
  • sexual harassment
  • racial harassment
  • workplace harassment
  • online harassment
  • street harassment
  • verbal harassment
  • suffer harassment
  • report harassment
  • experience harassment
  • face harassment
  • subject someone to harassment
  • harassment complaint
  • harassment policy
  • harassment case
  • zero-tolerance policy on harassment
Synonyms
  • bullying

    more narrowly about physical or social intimidation, often among children or peers

  • intimidation

    focuses on making someone afraid rather than just annoyed or upset

  • persecution

    much stronger; systematic mistreatment of a group over a long period, often for political or religious reasons

Antonyms
  • respect

    the opposite of harassment — treating someone with consideration

  • protection

    actions taken to keep someone safe from harassment

Grammar Patterns

harassment + of + person

adjective + harassment

subject + to + harassment

Usage Note

Often used with a modifier specifying the context or type: sexual harassment, racial harassment, workplace harassment, online harassment. The word implies a pattern of repeated incidents rather than a single act.

Common Mistakes

I filed a complaint about his harassment' (unclear — one action or a pattern).
I filed a complaint about his repeated harassment
Harassment typically refers to a series of unwanted actions, so clarify when it matters.
He harassed me yesterday' (sounds like a single event).
He harassed me every day last week with unwanted messages.
The verb harass also implies repetition; use continuous time frames.

Word family

  • harass
    verbB2
  • harassed
    adjectiveB2
  • harasser
    nounC1
  • harassing
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Harassment, bullying, intimidation, and persecution all describe unwanted treatment of others, but they differ in intensity, context, and scope. Harassment is the broadest and most common term, covering any repeated unwanted behaviour that upsets or worries someone — from offensive jokes to unwanted messages. Bullying is more specific to peer settings such as schools or playgrounds and often involves physical or verbal power imbalance. Intimidation focuses on creating fear through threats or aggressive behaviour, whether physical or psychological. Persecution is the strongest of the four: it refers to systematic, long-term mistreatment of a group, usually based on race, religion, or political beliefs, and is often backed by institutional or societal power. For a workplace complaint about a coworker's unwanted advances, use harassment. For a child being pushed around at school, use bullying. For a regime targeting a minority group, use persecution.

bullying ↗intimidationpersecution ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • subject to harassment
  • zero-tolerance policy on harassment
  • sexual harassment in the workplace

Prepositions

Etymology

GermanicOld FrenchFrenchEnglish

Harassment comes from the Old French word 'harer', meaning 'to set a dog on' — a vivid picture of repeatedly attacking or chasing someone. It entered English through French 'harasser' (to exhaust or tire out). Originally used in military contexts meaning 'to raid or lay waste', it shifted over centuries to describe any repeated troubling or annoying behaviour.