Assediar

Assediar is a Portuguese verb with two principal senses. In everyday language, it means to harass, pester, or pursue someone persistently, often in an unwanted way. It is transitive, taking a direct object: assediar alguém. The act can occur in social, professional, or romantic contexts, and when framed as mistreatment it relates to the noun assédio (harassment). In organizational or legal contexts, phrases such as assédio moral (moral harassment) and assédio sexual (sexual harassment) are common.

In a historical or military context, assediar also means to besiege or surround a fortress or city with the aim of forcing surrender.

Etymology and usage context: The verb derives from the noun assédio and is used in both Brazilian Portuguese and European Portuguese, with regional differences in frequency and collocation. It covers broad usage from casual to formal registers, depending on tone and context.

Usage notes: The term carries negative connotations when describing behavior that infringes on another’s autonomy or dignity. When discussing sensitive topics, speakers often specify the type of harassment (moral, sexual) to reduce ambiguity. Related verbs include importunar (to bother), perseguir (to pursue), and perturbar (to disturb). English equivalents include to harass, to pester, or to besiege, depending on the sense.

See also: assédio, assédio sexual, assédio moral, perseguição, importunação.