heckle

verb

heck·​le ˈhe-kəl How to pronounce heckle (audio)
heckled; heckling ˈhe-k(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce heckle (audio)

transitive verb

: to harass and try to disconcert with questions, challenges, or gibes : badger
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
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.
Nancy Pelosi was heckled for over a minute while speaking about her new book at an event in New York in October. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 12 Dec. 2024 Beyond being heckled, cursed at, and pelted with eggs and rocks, he was forced to hide from mobs. TIME, 2 Dec. 2024 By James Acaster’s calculations, he gets heckled more than the average comedian. Hershal Pandya, Vulture, 22 Nov. 2024 Jason Kelce was relentlessly heckled by another unruly fan for the second time in weeks, this time with a very different ending. Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 22 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for heckle 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of heckle was circa 1825

Dictionary Entries Near heckle

Cite this Entry

“Heckle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heckle. Accessed 25 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

heckle

verb
heck·​le ˈhek-əl How to pronounce heckle (audio)
heckled; heckling -(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce heckle (audio)
: to interrupt with questions or comments usually with the intention of annoying or hindering
were heckling the speaker
heckler noun

More from Merriam-Webster on heckle

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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