Hassle
/ˈhæs.əl/noun
A nuisance, difficulty, or annoying struggle.
Did you know?The noun and verb are modern slang, but the older dialectal verb behind them meant to pull, shake, or tussle violently, giving “hassle” a physical, almost combative origin.
Etymological Timeline
Early Modern English
English
hassle
“to bother, annoy, or struggle with something”
18th–19th Century
English dialect
hassle
“to pull about, shake, or tussle with”
18th–19th Century
English dialect
hassel / hasle
“a rough handling or scuffle”
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*k̑es-
“to move quickly, set in motion”