heckle

verb

heck·​le ˈhe-kəl 

heckled; heckling ˈhe-k(ə-)liŋ 

transitive verb

: to harass and try to disconcert with questions, challenges, or gibes : badger

Synonyms

• bait
• hassle
• haze
• needle
• ride
• taunt
• tease

Choose the Right Synonym for heckle

bait, badger, heckle, hector, chivy, hound mean to harass by efforts to break down.

bait implies wanton cruelty or delight in persecuting a helpless victim.

baited the chained dog

badger implies pestering so as to drive a person to confusion or frenzy.

badgered her father for a car

heckle implies persistent annoying or belligerent interruptions of a speaker.

drunks heckled the stand-up comic

hector carries an implication of bullying and domineering.

football players hectored by their coach

chivy suggests persecution by teasing or nagging.

chivied the new student mercilessly

hound implies unrelenting pursuit and harassing.

hounded by creditors

Examples of heckle in a Sentence

Several protesters were heckling the speaker at the rally.

The players were being heckled by the fans.

People in the crowd were booing and heckling as she tried to speak.

Recent Examples on the Web

This is not the same DeChambeau had become such a polarizing figure — a target of heckling for slow play and his spat with Brooks Koepka. —Doug Ferguson, Baltimore Sun, 16 June 2024

Last month, the comedian was also heckled by a pro-Palestinian supporter at a Virginia show and his commencement speech at Duke University drew pro-Palestinian protesters. —Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 16 June 2024

While performing stand-up at the Laugh Factory comedy club in Los Angeles nearly 20 years ago, Richards infamously lost his temper when a Black audience member heckled him. —Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 4 June 2024

He was replaced by Kid Cudi, who was heckled offstage by fans angry West wasn’t performing. —Tribune News Service, Hartford Courant, 13 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English hekelen to dress flax, scratch, from heckele hackle; akin to Old High German hāko hook — more at hook

First Known Use

circa 1825, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

heckle

verb

heck·​le ˈhek-əl 

heckled; heckling -(ə-)liŋ 

: to interrupt with questions or comments usually with the intention of annoying or hindering

were heckling the speaker

heckler

-(ə-)lər 

noun