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

• taunt
• tease
• mock

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

Following the game, manager Dave Roberts said that the fan had been heckling Ohtani relentlessly up to that point, though the decision to acknowledge him was a surprising one. —Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Aug. 2025

Liam instead heckled the band from a balcony overlooking the stage. —Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2025

In rural Northern California, Representative Doug LaMalfa was heckled for ninety minutes by six hundred seniors at an Elks Lodge. —Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025

These are not necessarily the fans most apt to slam Franklin on message boards after another close loss to Ohio State or heckle him from the stands at Beaver Stadium. —Ralph D. Russo, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2025

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

Rhymes for heckle

• decal
• freckle
• meckel
• shekel
• speckle
• thecal

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