hector 1 of 2

hector

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word hector distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of hector are badger, bait, chivy, heckle, and hound. While all these words mean "to harass by efforts to break down," hector carries an implication of bullying and domineering.

football players hectored by their coach

Where would badger be a reasonable alternative to hector?

The synonyms badger and hector are sometimes interchangeable, but badger implies pestering so as to drive a person to confusion or frenzy.

badgered her father for a car

When is it sensible to use bait instead of hector?

Although the words bait and hector have much in common, bait implies wanton cruelty or delight in persecuting a helpless victim.

baited the chained dog

When could chivy be used to replace hector?

While the synonyms chivy and hector are close in meaning, chivy suggests persecution by teasing or nagging.

chivied the new student mercilessly

When is heckle a more appropriate choice than hector?

The words heckle and hector can be used in similar contexts, but heckle implies persistent annoying or belligerent interruptions of a speaker.

drunks heckled the stand-up comic

When would hound be a good substitute for hector?

The words hound and hector are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, hound implies unrelenting pursuit and harassing.

hounded by creditors

Examples Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of hector
Noun
THE young woman with the microphone cajoles, hectors and wheedles customers with the breathless enthusiasm of a livestock auctioneer at a county fair. The Economist, 18 July 2017 Trump’s proposals to match China’s import fees and to hector companies into keeping jobs in the United States represent a huge threat to the mercantilist Asian economic model. Joel Kotkin, Orange County Register, 2 Apr. 2017
Verb
Greengrass’s attempts to wrap a political statement up in Bourne clothing is awkward and jarring, and the movie is more preachy and hectoring than particularly enlightening. Will Leitch, Vulture, 9 Aug. 2024 Into this hallucination comes rival Rio Vidal (Aubrey Plaza), perhaps a badder witch than Agatha, in the guise of a federal agent, who will hector Agatha back in the relatively real world. Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hector 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hector
Noun
  • In the end, dictators tap into something essential in human nature—the deference before a bully.
    Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
  • Some of them are bullies, some of them are just ill-prepared.
    Stephen Rodrick, Rolling Stone, 8 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • For the uninitiated, dragon fruit can be intimidating.
    Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Jan. 2025
  • Frame Criticisms Constructively Delivering critical feedback or raising concerns can be intimidating, but CEOs value honesty when it’s delivered thoughtfully.
    Chiara Alzati, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • Some of the soldiers whom Chernov follows into battle remain gung-ho about defeating the enemy, though others, like the filmmaker himself, voice fears that there’s no end in sight.
    Guy Lodge, Variety, 24 Jan. 2025
  • While past presidents were somewhat willing to work with political rivals or enemies, Trump has always put a greater emphasis on loyalty.
    William Gavin, Quartz, 23 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Where another artist might rely on grotesque specifics to frighten the reader, Mignola’s insinuating expanses of black ink conceal all but the most necessary details of a rich and malevolent world, filled with monstrosities, yes, but also oddities, many of them delightful.
    Sam Thielman, New York Times, 20 Jan. 2025
  • As the devastating wildfires began to sweep across Los Angeles on Jan. 7, frightened residents were not turning to Netflix.
    Stephen Battaglio, Los Angeles Times, 19 Jan. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Hector.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hector. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.

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