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 During the game, Doncic took offense to a fan in a Devin Booker jersey who heckled the Dallas star. Jeremy Cluff, The Arizona Republic, 25 Jan. 2024 This will be a State of the Union speech worth watching — even if the president isn’t lucky enough to get heckled again. Doyle McManus, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2024 The survey asked respondents about fan behaviors that annoy them while watching the tournament, such as annoying chants, heckling too much, drinking too much and starting fights. Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 29 Feb. 2024 The real dispute, however, unfolds between a guy who wants to rescue the drowning hawk and his heckling buddy who tells him — repeatedly and hilariously — to stay out of it. Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 28 Feb. 2024 As this latest grand bargain heads toward its increasingly likely demise, with Trump heckling from the sidelines, the rest of the world will once again be gawking at our dysfunction. Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 2 Feb. 2024 With drunken patrons heckling him, Kiranos jumped onto the bartop and began singing with every ounce of his being. Garret K. Woodward, Rolling Stone, 23 Feb. 2024 The 16th is the loudest and most attended hole on the PGA Tour, but the cheering, heckling, beer-swilling and otherwise anti-golfness went too far this year, some in the field said. Jack Magruder, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024 Protestors heckled Trump several times before being escorted out. John Bacon, USA TODAY, 23 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'heckle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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 28 Mar. 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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