HARRY Synonyms: 104 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

harry

verb

Definition of harry

as in to sack

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

as in to harass

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 Servers in the very busy Studio Bar at cocktail hour were attentive, if harried at times, and the bartenders mix great drinks. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 May 2026 The Antonelli hype is real Norris harried Antonelli for the rest of the 57-lap race, but the reigning world champion could not force the Mercedes sophomore into a fault. — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 4 May 2026 There is a lot of work to do, but Hurley does not sound stressed or harried as in years past. — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 15 Apr. 2026 She, too, was harried and didn’t devote enough time to self-care. — Literary Hub, 9 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for harry

Recent Examples of Synonyms for harry

Verb

After the third consecutive three-and-out ended with Young getting sacked, former Panther QB Jake Delhomme spoke for a lot of fans on the TV broadcast.

— Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 16 Aug. 2026
Cofnas was sacked by Cambridge in the wake of controversy caused by his comments.

— Rupert Neate, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of sack

Verb

The Houthis declared a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia last month and have been routinely harassing shipping since.

— Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 11 Aug. 2026
There has also been a long list of law enforcement officers across the country who have used the database created by Flock, and other license plate reader companies, to make personal searches and stalk and harass people.

— Irene Wright, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of harass

Verb

In vivid strokes of saffron orange and seafoam green watercolors, Wilson rendered a vibrant portrait of herself plundering birthday cake by the handful as party guests languished around the frame.

— Tania Azhang, Sacbee.com, 26 July 2026
As long as the contents of a container have not been plundered outright, they can even be delivered to the recipient after an accident, albeit with some delay.

— Alexander Klose, Scientific American, 24 July 2026

Definition of plunder

Verb

The drum topped a list of 148 objects that Côte d’Ivoire requested from France in 2019; the petition followed French President Emmanuel Macron’s 2017 pledge to return works of art looted in Africa during the colonial era.

— Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Los Angeles County deputies say that an AutoZone in East Los Angeles was found looted early Saturday morning, near the spot where a street takeover had taken place.

— Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of loot

Verb

The disease savaged the American economy, set back the education of a generation of American children, inflamed political divisions, and undermined confidence in vital public health protections, including vaccination.

— David Blumenthal, STAT, 20 July 2026
The show has certainly savaged Democrats at times, but its progressive loyalties have only grown clearer over the years.

— Chris Smith, Vanity Fair, 13 July 2026

Definition of savage

Verb

Vendors said enforcement sweeps that began earlier this year have threatened their livelihoods, with authorities confiscating vending equipment and, in some cases, destroying it.

— Da Lin, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
One of those, the USS Gerald R Ford, also reported problems earlier this year, from toilets that weren’t working to a laundry fire that briefly stopped combat operations and destroyed some sleeping quarters.

— Mustafa Qadri, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of destroy

Browse Nearby Words

harrows

harry

harrying

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Harry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harry. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of harry

verb

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on harry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

oxymoron

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Is “GIF” Pronounced “Jiff” or “Giff”?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes