To harry means to repeatedly attack, bother, or wear someone down through constant pressure. The word suggests persistent, aggressive harassment rather than a single attack.

When wolves harry a herd of caribou, they don't try to catch one immediately. Instead, they chase and worry the herd for hours, testing for weak members, until the animals are exhausted. Medieval armies would harry enemy territory by making quick, destructive raids that prevented farmers from planting crops or villagers from feeling safe.

You might see the word in stories about battles or pursuits. A defending army might harry invaders with surprise attacks. A detective might harry a suspect with relentless questioning. The constant pressure creates stress and mistakes.

The word carries a sense of relentlessness. Someone being harried feels pursued and pressured from multiple directions without rest. A teacher harried by constant interruptions struggles to finish grading. A parent harried by errands feels pulled in too many directions at once.

Notice that harry is different from a single confrontation. It means wearing someone down through repeated action, like waves gradually eroding a cliff rather than one big storm.