Third person singular present tense of harass; to continually bother, annoy, or intimidate someone repeatedly.
From 'harass,' which comes from French 'harasser.' The '-es' is the standard third person singular present ending in English.
The word 'harasses' entered modern prominence when laws against workplace harassment became common—it shifted from a casual word meaning 'bothers' to describing serious legal violations!
The verb 'harasses' carries the same evolved meaning: feminist movements of the 1970s-80s named systematic interpersonal harm previously dismissed as 'teasing' or 'flirtation,' establishing 'harassment' as a verb tied to power imbalance.
Use 'harasses' for any actor or target. In documentation, avoid defaulting to female targets or male actors; use varied examples.
Women's testimony and advocacy transformed 'harasses' from invisible into actionable language; Anita Hill's 1991 testimony exemplifies the linguistic and legal fight to make this verb legible.
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