# harp

/ˈhɑɹp/ (US) · /hˈɑːp/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/harp
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. musical instrument

noun · CEFR B1

a large, triangular musical instrument with many strings that you play with your fingers.

For teachers: a musical instrument consisting of a frame and a series of strings of varying lengths, played by plucking with the fingers.

- The orchestra has a talented musician who plays the harp beautifully.
- The delicate glissando of the harp provided a shimmering texture to the opening movement of the symphony.

### 2. to talk about repeatedly

verb · CEFR B2 · Informal

to talk or complain about the same thing over and over again in an annoying way.

For teachers: to dwell on a subject tiresomely or with monotonous repetition; almost always used with the preposition 'on'.

- I know I made a mistake, so please don't keep harping on it.
- The manager continued to harp on the minor clerical error long after the project had been successfully completed and delivered.

Usage: The verb is almost always followed by the preposition 'on'.

### 3. harmonica

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal · Slang

a small musical instrument you play with your mouth, often used in blues or folk music.

For teachers: a common informal term for the harmonica, particularly within the context of blues and folk music genres.

- He pulled a blues harp out of his pocket and started to play a sad tune.
- The lead singer occasionally swapped his guitar for a blues harp to add a gritty, authentic texture to their acoustic sets.

## Examples

- He keeps harping on about his old car.
- I know I made a mistake, but you don't need to harp on it for the rest of the week.
- While the manager acknowledged the initial error, he continued to harp on the procedural failure during every subsequent meeting, much to the frustration of the design team.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.