heckle

Synonym Chooser

How is the word heckle distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of heckle are badger, bait, chivy, hector, and hound. While all these words mean "to harass by efforts to break down," heckle implies persistent annoying or belligerent interruptions of a speaker.

drunks heckled the stand-up comic

Where would badger be a reasonable alternative to heckle?

The meanings of badger and heckle largely overlap; however, badger implies pestering so as to drive a person to confusion or frenzy.

badgered her father for a car

When might bait be a better fit than heckle?

While in some cases nearly identical to heckle, bait implies wanton cruelty or delight in persecuting a helpless victim.

baited the chained dog

When can chivy be used instead of heckle?

The words chivy and heckle can be used in similar contexts, but chivy suggests persecution by teasing or nagging.

chivied the new student mercilessly

When is hector a more appropriate choice than heckle?

The synonyms hector and heckle are sometimes interchangeable, but hector carries an implication of bullying and domineering.

football players hectored by their coach

When would hound be a good substitute for heckle?

Although the words hound and heckle have much in common, hound implies unrelenting pursuit and harassing.

hounded by creditors

Example 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 heckle At a recent track meet in Orange County, more than two dozen adults, including three local school board members, heckled Hernandez for hours, at one point raising their voices so loud as to cause a false start in another event, Capital and Main reported. Brooke Migdon, The Hill, 27 May 2025 She’s spent almost every year since with her father in Section 114, in heckling distance of the visiting team’s tunnel. Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 1 May 2025 Hundreds of people heckled Vance’s presence while holding pro-Ukraine signs. David Mark, The Washington Examiner, 13 June 2025 There’s this brick man who heckled us at one of my live events. Peter White, Deadline, 13 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for heckle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for heckle
Verb
  • The worse-than-blue has been hanging around for weeks, taunting me because tomorrow is my birthday.
    Susan Choi, Literary Hub, 5 June 2025
  • Rakeem Nunez-Roches taunted Hudson from the defensive sideline, and Hudson made the yapping sign with his hand back at him.
    Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 5 June 2025
Verb
  • Affectionately, the 35-year-old pop star is not known for setting or chasing trends, instead using fashion to tease new musical eras or evoke a sense of girl-next-door relatability.
    Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 29 June 2025
  • The historic broadcast network began teasing the multiple Emmy winner’s birthday as early as June 13.
    Ronda Racha Penrice, HollywoodReporter, 28 June 2025
Verb
  • Tonally, the show is all over the place, laying on the moody theatrics one moment, mocking Dave’s writerly pretenses the next.
    Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 25 June 2025
  • In September 2024, she was mocked online after releasing a single.
    Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 June 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Heckle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heckle. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on heckle

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