What does harassment mean?
Harassment names unwanted behavior that subjects another person to repeated pressure, intimidation, humiliation, or unwanted attention. It is used for serious misconduct in homes, schools, workplaces, public spaces, and online environments, and it may be connected to protected characteristics such as race, sex, religion, disability, or sexual orientation. The word can refer to a prolonged pattern, as in workplace harassment, or to a single especially severe act, depending on the context and applicable law. As a verb, harassment describes the conduct itself rather than the experience of the person affected. The term has a strong denunciatory tone and is commonly used when discussing safety, accountability, and legal protection. Unlike the more general term “annoyance,” harassment implies conduct that is persistent, intimidating, or materially distressing.
Persistent or severe unwanted attention, interference, or treatment that causes distress, intimidation, or fear.
"The court treated the repeated messages as harassment rather than an ordinary disagreement."
Usually refers to conduct that is recurring, intimidating, or otherwise serious; legal definitions vary.
To subject someone to persistent or severe unwanted attention, intimidation, or troubling behavior.
"He was accused of harassing a former colleague through threatening phone calls."
Often used with the person affected as the object: “harass a coworker.”
The plural is grammatically possible but uncommon; harassment is usually used as a mass noun.
"The report documented several separate harasments at the office."
Harassment is not merely an irritation: it is unwanted pressure that crosses the line into intimidation, fear, or systematic control.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does harassment come from?
The noun entered English in the early nineteenth century from French harassment, a form of the French verb harasser, “to batter, pester, or harass.” The French verb belongs to a family related to harrier, “to batter or vex,” and the English words harry, harried, and harrying reflect the same broad tradition of persistent troubling or troubling by force. The modern meaning developed from the idea of repeatedly troubling, attacking, or obstructing a person.
Related word forms
How harassment is actually used
The noun is strongly negative and is commonly used in legal, workplace, educational, and social contexts. Although persistent conduct is often implied, legal definitions may also cover a single severe incident. The plural is possible but less common because harassment is usually treated as a mass noun.