What does harboured mean?
Harboured is the past tense and past participle of the British verb harbour, spelled harbored in American English. Its central idea is shelter: it can describe giving refuge to a person, animal, or vessel, and it can describe keeping a thought, feeling, or suspicion in one’s mind. Thus “she harboured a grudge” differs from “the village harboured a lost traveller” only in what is being sheltered, not in the basic metaphor. The mental sense often suggests that a thought is deliberately preserved, sometimes for a long time and sometimes with resentment or mistrust. The concrete sense can involve literal protection, refuge, or the use of a port as a place of safety. Harboured occurs in formal and neutral writing as well as ordinary conversation. It can also function as a participial adjective before a noun, as in “a long-harboured fear.”
To provide shelter or refuge to someone or something, or to keep a thought, feeling, or suspicion in one’s mind.
"The coastal village harboured survivors from the storm."
The mental sense often implies deliberate or prolonged retention, particularly of suspicion, fear, hostility, or hope.
Sheltered, kept, or entertained, especially as a feeling, suspicion, or intention.
"Her long-harboured suspicion eventually proved justified."
This is a participial adjective, normally used before a noun.
Harbouring a ship and harbouring a grudge use the same idea: giving something a place to stay.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of harboured
The word entered Middle English through Old French forms meaning a shelter, refuge, or harbour, ultimately reflecting Germanic vocabulary associated with shelter or an inn. The verb was extended from the older physical idea of shelter to the keeping of a thought, feeling, or suspicion in the mind. Its derivatives, including harbourage, harbourer, and harbourless, continue the same productive meaning of shelter or refuge.
Related word forms
How harboured is actually used
The word is formal to neutral in register. Its figurative sense often suggests that a thought or feeling has been deliberately preserved, and words such as suspicion, fear, and resentment can carry an additional implication of secrecy or mistrust. In attributive use, “harboured” commonly precedes an abstract noun, as in “long-harboured doubts.”