harp

1 of 2

noun

ˈhärp

plural harps

: a plucked stringed instrument consisting of a resonator, an arched or angled neck that may be supported by a post, and strings of graded length that are strung between the soundboard and the neck

: something resembling a harp

: harmonica sense 2

harpist

ˈhär-pist

noun

harp

2 of 2

verb

harped; harping; harps

intransitive verb

: to play on a harp

: to dwell on or recur to a subject tiresomely or monotonously

—usually used with on

Examples of harp in a Sentence

Verb there were so many good things about the stage production that it seems churlish to harp on a couple of minor missteps

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Noun

Harper comes from an English surname that originally belonged to a person who played or made harps. —

Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 20 Jan. 2025 Music in the Library: West African Kora – Presented by Sean Gaskell: Sean Gaskell will give a performance on the kora, an ancient 21-stringed harp from West Africa. —

Joe Rassel, Orlando Sentinel, 9 Jan. 2025

Verb

The legacy media refused to credit his record for boosting the middle class, choosing instead to harp about Biden’s age and ignore Trump’s incoherent, increasingly violent rhetoric. —

Dp Opinion, The Denver Post, 15 Jan. 2025 Payton harped more than once on the fumbles by Estimé and Watson, but his initial evaluation of the rookie group’s first outing Sunday was a positive one. —

Nick Kosmider, The Athletic, 11 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for harp

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English harpe, going back to Old English hearpe (feminine weak noun), going back to Germanic *harpōn- (whence also Old Saxon harpa "harp, rack, gridiron for torture" Old High German harpha, harfa "harp, gridiron for torture," Old Norse harpa "harp"), of uncertain origin

Note: As a source for Middle English harpe compare also Anglo-French and continental Old French harpe, borrowed from Germanic. The sixth-century poet and hymnodist Venantius Fortunatus, resident at the Merovingian court, attests the word in Latin: "Romanusque lyra plaudat tibi, barbarus harpa …" ("Let the Roman applaud you with the lyre, the barbarian with the harp …").

Verb

Middle English harpen "to play a harp, pluck" (also harpen on "repeat [something] constantly"), going back to Old English hearpian "to play the harp," derivative of hearpe harp entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of harp was before the 12th century

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Harp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/harp. Accessed 10 Feb. 2025.

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Kids Definition

harp

1 of 2 noun

ˈhärp

: a musical instrument that has strings stretched across a large open triangular frame and that is plucked with the fingers

harpist

ˈhär-pəst

noun

harp

2 of 2 verb

: to play on a harp

: to dwell on a subject tiresomely

always harping on his shortcomings

harper noun

Last Updated: 31 Jan 2025 - Updated example sentences

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harp

noun

Illustration of harp

verb

Synonyms

Examples of harp in a Sentence

Word History

Dictionary Entries Near harp

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition