Words / B2

HASL/ˈhæsl/

A hassle is trouble, annoyance, or extra effort; as a verb, to bother someone repeatedly: parking hassle; hassle someone for. Nuisance and inconvenience are close twins. Parking was a hassle; still quote the waiting time. Mix-up: hustle; castle. Do not write hassle for a named crime or injury — those need legal or medical wording.

Meaning

Trouble, annoyance, or extra effort; as a verb, to bother someone repeatedly.

Examples

• “Parking was a hassle, the survey said; still quote the waiting time.”
• “Do not hassle witnesses for a quote, the reporting code said, which is the verb sense.”

Good to know

a hassle; hassle-free; hassle + someone + for. Close: nuisance / inconvenience. Trap: hustle. Surveys, news, and citizenship. An annoyance or extra bother, not a felony.

Near in meaning

bother, nuisance, inconvenience

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