hector

1 of 2

noun

hec·​tor ˈhek-tər How to pronounce hector (audio)
1
capitalized : a son of Priam, husband of Andromache, and Trojan champion slain by Achilles
2

hector

2 of 2

verb

hectored; hectoring ˈhek-t(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce hector (audio)

intransitive verb

: to behave in an arrogant or intimidating way : to play the bully : swagger

transitive verb

: to intimidate or harass by bluster or personal pressure
football players being hectored by their coach
hectoringly adverb

Did you know?

In Homer's Iliad, Hector, the eldest son of King Priam of Troy, was a model soldier, son, father, and friend, the champion of the Trojan army until he was killed by the Greek hero Achilles. So how did his name become a verb meaning "to intimidate or harrass"? That use was likely influenced by gangs of rowdy street toughs who roamed London in the 17th century and called themselves "Hectors." They may have thought themselves gallant young blades, but to the general populace they were swaggering bullies who intimidated passersby and vandalized property.

Choose the Right Synonym for hector

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 hector in a Sentence

Noun law penalizing debt collection agencies that operate like hectors Verb The judge ordered the attorney to stop hectoring the witness. the judge warned the attorney that hectoring the witness with aggressive questioning would not be allowed
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Photo: hector retamal/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images Seven hours into the march, Mrs. Lam apologized to the Hong Kong people for mishandling the bill. Wenxin Fan, WSJ, 16 June 2019 Mr. Liggett sometimes used his art to hector neighbors in a score of grievances. Donald Frazier, Washington Post, 26 Aug. 2017 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 Schwarzenegger liked to hector state residents on global warming and green energy, and brag about his commitment to wind and solar power. Victor Davis Hanson, The Mercury News, 9 Mar. 2017 Like Chaffetz, the South Carolina congressman used his position in the House to investigate and hector Hillary Clinton throughout her time as a presidential candidate. OregonLive.com, 30 June 2017 Regardless, that scene between Matt and Nora was one of the most moving the show has offered, with Nora grateful for Matt’s company and lack of judgment, and Matt determined to just be there for her, and not hector or sermonize. Spencer Kornhaber and Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 4 June 2017
Verb
Honoring American values, moreover, is more than a matter of hectoring repressive regimes. Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024 Talbot hectors these comically exaggerated pep talks — equal parts carrot and stick — over crushing guitars in a way that feels both giddy and disorienting. Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 15 Feb. 2024 She was arrested again in August 1943, along with Behrens and Dr. Fred Thomas, a Detroit obstetrician and a Nazi fanatic known for hectoring a rabbi with antisemitic propaganda. Jack Kresnak, Detroit Free Press, 21 Jan. 2024 But Darwish’s poem is the opposite of bitter or hectoring. Robyn Creswell, The New York Review of Books, 7 Oct. 2021 In the interim between Election Day and January 5, 2021 — the day when Georgians went back to the polls to participate in two runoff elections for U.S. Senate — Trump ceaselessly hectored the party into believing that voting was a fool’s game and the Peach State’s GOP was hopelessly corrupt. Noah Rothman, National Review, 17 Jan. 2024 The less curious instantiations, which present the leaders’ hectoring and philosophizing at length, can start to feel misguided. Margaret Lyons, New York Times, 22 Dec. 2023 McCallany’s Fritz is blustering and hectoring, but at his most terrifying when dominating his sons with mere hints and cheerfully casual games of intimate power. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 20 Dec. 2023 Winter is coming for criticism, too, we’re regularly told, with warnings about its eclipse trailed by hectoring about the role of the critic (by the critic), about the need for her wisdom and authority. Parul Sehgal, The New Yorker, 4 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hector.' 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

Noun and Verb

Latin, from Greek Hektōr

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1660, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of hector was in the 14th century

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Dictionary Entries Near hector

Cite this Entry

“Hector.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hector. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

hector

verb
hec·​tor
ˈhek-tər
hectored; hectoring
-t(ə-)riŋ
1
: to act like a bully : swagger
2
: to frighten by threatening or bullying

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