different between besiege vs harass

English

Etymology

From Middle English besegen, bisegen, equivalent to be- (“around, about”) +? siege.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /b??si?d??/
• Rhymes: -i?d?
• Hyphenation: be?siege

Verb

besiege (third-person singular simple present besieges, present participle besieging, simple past and past participle besieged)

1. (transitive) To beset or surround with armed forces for the purpose of compelling to surrender, to lay siege to, beleaguer.
2. (transitive, figuratively) To beleaguer, to vex, to lay siege to, to beset.
3. to assail or ply, as with requests or demands.

Translations

German

Verb

besiege

1. inflection of besiegen:
   1. first-person singular present
   2. singular imperative
   3. first/third-person singular subjunctive I

English

Etymology

From Old French harasser (“to tire out, to vex”), of obscure origin, perhaps from Old French harer (“to stir up, provoke, set a dog on”) and/or Old French harier (“to harry”); see harry; compare Old French harace (“a basket made of cords”), harace, harasse (“a very heavy and large shield”).

Pronunciation

• (General American) enPR: h?r?s?, h??r?s, IPA^(key): /h???æs/, /?hæ??s/
• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: h??r?s, h?r?s?, IPA^(key): /?hæ??s/, /h???æs/
• Rhymes: -æs
• Rhymes: -ær?s

Verb

harass (third-person singular simple present harasses, present participle harassing, simple past and past participle harassed)

1. To fatigue or to tire with repeated and exhausting efforts.
2. To annoy endlessly or systematically.

   Synonyms: beset, chevy, hassle, harry, molest, plague, provoke

   • 1877, Anna Sewell, Black Beauty Chapter 23[1]

     In my old home, I always knew that John and my master were my friends; but here, although in many ways I was well treated, I had no friend. York might have known, and very likely did know, how that rein harassed me; but I suppose he took it as a matter of course that could not be helped; at any rate nothing was done to relieve me.

3. To put excessive burdens upon; to subject to anxieties.

Derived terms

• harasser
• harassful
• harassment

Translations

Noun

harass

1. (obsolete) devastation; waste
2. (obsolete) worry; harassment

   • The daily harass, and the fight delay'd

Further reading

• harass in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• harass in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Anagrams

• hassar