Dictionary

persecute en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ˈpɝsəkjut/ (General-American)
• /ˈpɜːsɪkjuːt/ (UK)
• (UK) audio

Etymology

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.

Meanings

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.
   • "Do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Matthew 5:44:
   • He who persecutes one will persecute all.
   • I have heard, brethren, how sharply Antichrist persecuteth you, in vexing the faithful servants of Christ with divers and strange kinds of afflictions. 1563 March 30 (Gregorian calendar), John Foxe, Actes and Monuments of These Latter and Perillous Dayes, […], London: […] Iohn Day, […], →OCLC:
   • One of the village's most notable sons was Thomas Grantham, a Baptist church leader born in 1634, who was persecuted and imprisoned in the struggle for nonconformist beliefs during the reign of Charles II. 1980, AA Book of British Villages, Drive Publications Ltd, page 214, about Halton Holegate:
2. To harass with importunity; to pursue with persistent solicitations; to annoy.
3. To kill many of one species of animal, with the intent of removing them from human habitats.
   • Humans have been persecuting wolves in this forest for centuries.

Forms

Deriveds

persecutee · unpersecuted · persecutingly

Relateds

persecutable · persecution

Synonyms

annoy (annoy) · distress (beset with cruelty) · oppress (beset with cruelty) · harass (beset with cruelty)

Translations (85)

es perseguir (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · fi vainota (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · mk прогонува (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · hy հալածել (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · de peinigen (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · ro a persecuta (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · sh прого̀нити (to harass with importunity) · uk переслі́дувати (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · fi sortaa (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · pl prześladować (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · nod ᨣᩕ᩵ᩣᩴ (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · es encalzar (disused) (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · bg доса́ждам (to harass with importunity) · mi hawene (to harass with importunity) · de belästigen (to harass with importunity) · ru пресле́довать (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · ga déan géarleanúint ar (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · sk prenasledovať (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · pt perseguir (to harass with importunity) · eo persekuti (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · blt ꪙꪚꪾꪹꪔꪸꪉ (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · fr persécuter (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · ar اِضْطَهَدَ (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · got 𐍅𐍂𐌹𐌺𐌰𐌽 (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · sh прого̀нити (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · az təqib etmək (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · sw kuudhi (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · sh progòniti (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · sh progòniti (to harass with importunity) · be прасле́даваць (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · ru надоеда́ть (to harass with importunity) · ru подверга́ть гоне́ниям (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · es importunar (to harass with importunity) · el παρενοχλώ (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · fa تعقیب کردن (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · hi प्रताड़ना (to harass with importunity) · sl preganjati (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · lt persekioti (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · ru достава́ть (to harass with importunity) · sh progánjati (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · de plagen (to harass with importunity) · pt perseguir (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · de bedrängen (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · sh progánjati (to harass with importunity) · de haschen (to harass with importunity) · grc διώκω (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · nl vervolgen (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · nb forfølge (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · ru досажда́ть (to harass with importunity) · ht pèsekite (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · lo ຂົ່ມເຫັງ (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · az incitmək (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · hi प्रताड़ना (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · de drangsalieren (to harass with importunity) · ja 迫害する (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · sh прога́њати (to harass with importunity) · cs perzekvovat (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · de verfolgen (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · mk прогони (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · es cazar (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · shn ငႅၼ်းသႄး (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · th ข่มเหง (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · el διώκω (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · ko 핍박하다 (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · id menganiaya (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · ru донима́ть (to harass with importunity) · de schikanieren (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · fi riivata (to harass with importunity) · shn ၼိၵ်ႈၸၢၵ်ႈ (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · sk perzekvovať (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · bg пресле́двам (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · bg поти́скам (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · hu üldöz (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · fi ahdistella (to harass with importunity) · da forfølge (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · lv vajāt (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · cmn 迫害 (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · sl zasledovati (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · et taga kiusama (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · sh прога́њати (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · ru докуча́ть (to harass with importunity) · sv förfölja (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · it perseguitare (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · ca perseguir (to pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict) · kn ಕಾಡು (to harass with importunity)