verb · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
General-American:/ˈpɝsəkjut/
UK:/ˈpɜːsɪkjuːt/
UK:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:P ER1 S AH0 K Y UW2 T
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
verb
Meaning 1
To pursue in a manner to do harm or cruelty to; especially, because of the victim's race, sexual identity, or adherence to a particular belief.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
He who persecutes one will persecute all.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
verb
Meaning 2
To harass with importunity; to pursue with persistent solicitations; to annoy.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To kill many of one species of animal, with the intent of removing them from human habitats.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
Humans have been persecuting wolves in this forest for centuries.
Borrowed from Middle French persécuter, from Ecclesiastical Latin persecutor, from Latin persequor, persecutus (“follow up, pursue”), from per- (“through”) + sequor (“follow”) (English sequel). Compare prosecute. Cf. also pursue.
Across languages
Translations
85 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
اِضْطَهَدَ
(iḍṭahada)
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Armenian:
հալածել
(halacel)
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Azerbaijani:
təqib etmək
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Azerbaijani:
incitmək
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Belarusian:
прасле́даваць
(prasljédavacʹ)
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Bulgarian:
пресле́двам
(preslédvam)
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Bulgarian:
поти́скам
(potískam)
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Catalan:
perseguir
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Chinese Mandarin:
迫害
(pòhài)
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Czech:
perzekvovat
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Danish:
forfølge
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Dutch:
vervolgen
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Esperanto:
persekuti
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Estonian:
taga kiusama
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Finnish:
vainota
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Finnish:
sortaa
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
French:
persécuter
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
German:
verfolgen
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
German:
schikanieren
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
German:
bedrängen
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
German:
peinigen
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Gothic:
𐍅𐍂𐌹𐌺𐌰𐌽
(wrikan)
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Greek:
παρενοχλώ
(parenochló)
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Greek:
διώκω
(dióko)
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Ancient Greek:
διώκω
(diṓkō)
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Haitian Creole:
pèsekite
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Hindi:
प्रताड़ना
(pratāṛnā)
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Hungarian:
üldöz
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Indonesian:
menganiaya
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Irish:
déan géarleanúint ar
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Italian:
perseguitare
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Japanese:
迫害する
(hakugai suru)
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Korean:
핍박하다
(pipbakhada)
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Lao:
ຂົ່ມເຫັງ
(khom heng)
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Latvian:
vajāt
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Lithuanian:
persekioti
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Macedonian:
прогонува
(progonuva)
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Macedonian:
прогони
(progoni)
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Norwegian Bokmål:
forfølge
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Persian:
تعقیب کردن
(ta'qib kardan)
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Polish:
prześladować
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Portuguese:
perseguir
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Romanian:
a persecuta
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Russian:
пресле́довать
(preslédovatʹ)
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Russian:
подверга́ть гоне́ниям
(podvergátʹ gonénijam)
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Serbo-Croatian:
прого̀нити
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Serbo-Croatian:
прога́њати
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Serbo-Croatian:
progòniti
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Serbo-Croatian:
progánjati
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Shan:
ၼိၵ်ႈၸၢၵ်ႈ
(nīk tsāak)
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Shan:
ငႅၼ်းသႄး
(ngén sáae)
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Slovak:
perzekvovať
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Slovak:
prenasledovať
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Slovene:
preganjati
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Slovene:
zasledovati
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Spanish:
perseguir
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Spanish:
cazar
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Spanish:
encalzar (disused)
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Swahili:
kuudhi
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Swedish:
förfölja
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Tai Dam:
ꪙꪚꪾꪹꪔꪸꪉ
(ꞌnạp têng)
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Thai:
ข่มเหง
(kòm-hěeng)
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Northern Thai:
ᨣᩕ᩵ᩣᩴ
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Ukrainian:
переслі́дувати
(pereslíduvaty)
— to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict
Bulgarian:
доса́ждам
(dosáždam)
— to harass with importunity
Finnish:
ahdistella
— to harass with importunity
Finnish:
riivata
— to harass with importunity
German:
plagen
— to harass with importunity
German:
belästigen
— to harass with importunity
German:
drangsalieren
— to harass with importunity
German:
haschen
— to harass with importunity
Hindi:
प्रताड़ना
(pratāṛnā)
— to harass with importunity
Kannada:
ಕಾಡು
(kāḍu)
— to harass with importunity
Māori:
hawene
— to harass with importunity
Portuguese:
perseguir
— to harass with importunity
Russian:
докуча́ть
(dokučátʹ)
— to harass with importunity
Russian:
надоеда́ть
(nadojedátʹ)
— to harass with importunity
Russian:
донима́ть
(donimátʹ)
— to harass with importunity
Russian:
досажда́ть
(dosaždátʹ)
— to harass with importunity
Russian:
достава́ть
(dostavátʹ)
— to harass with importunity
Serbo-Croatian:
прого̀нити
— to harass with importunity
Serbo-Croatian:
прога́њати
— to harass with importunity
Serbo-Croatian:
progòniti
— to harass with importunity
Serbo-Croatian:
progánjati
— to harass with importunity
