heckle

verb

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

transitive verb

: to harass and try to disconcert with questions, challenges, or gibes : badger
fans heckling the opposing team

Synonyms of heckle

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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.
Flake is the recipient of the 2026 Thurber Award for Cartoon Art, so don’t heckle her. — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2026 When Cortez arrived at City Hall on Wednesday, she was heckled by protesters who made comments about her salary. — Tim Fang, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026 Erling Haaland and his teammates will be heckled to the heavens now that City has been found guilty on more than 100 charges of financial rule breaches. — Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2026 Eventually, Sinclair partisans took matters into their own hands by heckling the fake newsreels and disrupting screenings. — Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 19 Sep. 2026 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

Rhymes for heckle

See All Rhymes for heckle

Browse Nearby Words

heck-how
heckle
heckler
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Heckle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heckle. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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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
-(ə-)lər How to pronounce heckle (audio)
noun
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