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

The scene turned tense when one fan began heckling Kelce, allegedly shouting an anti-gay slur referencing his brother, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, over his relationship with pop star Taylor Swift. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2024

At Thom Yorke's recent solo show in Melbourne, Australia, the singer walked off the stage after being heckled about the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. —Jade Gomez, People.com, 31 Oct. 2024

Radiohead and the Smile singer Thom Yorke paused a recent solo concert in Melbourne, Australia, after being heckled by a pro-Palestine member of the audience. —Matthew Strauss, Pitchfork, 31 Oct. 2024

There’s a dramatic staged heckling at the start of your special. —Alexandra Schwartz, The New Yorker, 13 Oct. 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