Meaning & use
harness
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Meanings
verbtransitive
To control something such as a natural force or resource and use it for a practical purpose.
Grammar: Takes an object: harness the wind.
Patterns
- harness something for something
- harness the power of something
Engineers want to harness the power of the tides.
The school harnessed students' energy to run the festival.
Farmers harness rainwater for the dry months.
verbtransitive
To put a set of straps on an animal so that it can pull a load.
Grammar: Often followed by up: harness up the horses.
Patterns
- harness something to something
He harnessed the horses to the wagon.
The dogs were harnessed in pairs.
They harnessed up the oxen before dawn.
nouncountable
A set of straps used to control an animal or to hold a person or object safely in place.
Grammar: Countable: wear a safety harness.
Patterns
- a harness for something
The climber checked her safety harness.
Put the dog in a harness before the walk.
The baby sat in a harness in the car seat.
Word forms
| third person singular | harnesses |
|---|---|
| past tense | harnessed |
| past participle | harnessed |
| -ing form | harnessing |
Common combinations
- harness the power
- The village harnessed the power of the river.
- harness energy
- Solar panels harness energy from the sun.
- safety harness
- Always wear a safety harness on the roof.
- dog harness
- A dog harness is gentler than a collar.
- harness talent
- The company harnessed the talent of its young staff.
Synonyms and how they differ
- exploit
- Exploit can sound negative, meaning to use unfairly, while harness is positive.
- utilize
- Utilize is a formal word for use, with no sense of controlling a force.
- tap
- Tap suggests drawing on an existing source, where harness suggests bringing something under control.
Opposites
Word family
- harnessed adjective
- fitted with a harness or put to use
- harnessing noun
- the act of controlling a power for use
- unharnessed adjective
- not yet put to use
Commonly confused: harness or hurness?
harness vs hurness
Not a word; the correct spelling is harness.
Practice
Which sentence uses harness correctly?
Choose one answer.
Harness means to control a force or resource and use it. The others use it with objects it cannot take.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “harness”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.