harassment
/'hærəsmənt/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- The act of tormenting by continued persistent attacks and criticism: "Harassment" refers to the action of subjecting someone to aggressive pressure, intimidation, or unwanted and disturbing behavior repeatedly over time.
- A feeling of intense annoyance caused by being tormented: "Harassment" can also describe the distressed psychological state resulting from such persistent torment.
Usage
- The word "harassment" is typically used in legal, social, and workplace contexts to describe unacceptable, often systematic, behavior intended to disturb, threaten, or upset someone.
- It is commonly modified by adjectives specifying the type, such as "sexual harassment," "workplace harassment," or "online harassment."
- It functions as an uncountable noun when referring to the general concept or behavior, but can be countable when referring to specific instances or types.
Examples
- Noun:
- The company has a strict policy against any form of harassment.
- She filed a complaint about the persistent harassment from her coworker.
- The constant phone calls amounted to criminal harassment.
Advanced Usage
- "To be subjected to harassment": to be made a victim of harassing behavior.
- Employees must not be subjected to harassment of any kind.
- "A campaign of harassment": a sustained, organized series of harassing acts.
- The journalist faced a campaign of harassment for her critical reports.
Variants and Related Words
- Harass (verb): to subject someone to harassment; to pester or annoy persistently.
- It is illegal to harass someone based on their race.
- Harasser (noun): a person who harasses someone.
- The harasser was issued a restraining order.
Synonyms
- Persecution: hostility and ill-treatment, especially because of race, political, or religious beliefs.
- Intimidation: the action of frightening or threatening someone, often to make them do something.
- Bullying: the use of superior strength or influence to intimidate someone, typically to force them to do something.
Phrasal Verbs / Related Verb Phrases
- To harass someone into doing something: to pressure someone relentlessly until they comply.
- He was harassed into resigning from his position.
Related Idioms
- A hostile work environment: This legal and idiomatic phrase often results from severe or pervasive harassment that makes it difficult for an employee to work.
- The lawsuit claimed that the manager's behavior created a hostile work environment.
Noun
- the act of tormenting by continued persistent attacks and criticism
- a feeling of intense annoyance caused by being tormented
- so great was his harassment that he wanted to destroy his tormentors