Word

harassment

noun C1

/həˈɹæs.mənt/

Meanings

noun

Unwanted behavior, especially repeated, that annoys, intimidates, or threatens someone.

noun

Unwanted and offensive behavior aimed at someone because of sex or gender, often involving comments, pressure, or inappropriate attention.

harassment: Unwanted and offensive behavior aimed at someone because of sex or gender, often involving comments, pressure, o…

Definition

Harassment is unwanted, repeated behavior that intimidates, offends, or pressures someone.

Harassment refers to behavior that someone does not welcome and that makes another person feel unsafe, humiliated, or stressed. It often involves repeated actions such as insulting remarks, persistent messages, or aggressive attention. The key ideas are that it is unwanted and that it causes discomfort, fear, or distress.

Examples

After months of harassment at work, Maya documented each incident and asked her manager for support.
The journalist faced harassment online, so he tightened his privacy settings and limited who could contact him.
When I experienced harassment on the commute, I changed my route and spoke to a station supervisor.
They condemned the harassment of volunteers and set clear boundaries for how visitors must behave.

Common mistake

Learners sometimes confuse harassment with annoyance; harassment implies unwanted behavior that is intimidating, threatening, or persistent, not just mildly irritating.