hector 1 of 2

hector

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word hector distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of hector are badger, bait, chivy, heckle, and hound. While all these words mean "to harass by efforts to break down," hector carries an implication of bullying and domineering.

football players hectored by their coach

Where would badger be a reasonable alternative to hector?

The synonyms badger and hector are sometimes interchangeable, but badger implies pestering so as to drive a person to confusion or frenzy.

badgered her father for a car

When is it sensible to use bait instead of hector?

Although the words bait and hector have much in common, bait implies wanton cruelty or delight in persecuting a helpless victim.

baited the chained dog

When could chivy be used to replace hector?

While the synonyms chivy and hector are close in meaning, chivy suggests persecution by teasing or nagging.

chivied the new student mercilessly

When is heckle a more appropriate choice than hector?

The words heckle and hector can be used in similar contexts, but heckle implies persistent annoying or belligerent interruptions of a speaker.

drunks heckled the stand-up comic

When would hound be a good substitute for hector?

The words hound and hector are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, 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 hector
Noun
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
Verb
Jason Sudeikis, Robert Smigel, and George Wendt hectored Kelce to (1) make Taylor pony up for a new stadium and (2) propose already. Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 14 Aug. 2025 President Donald Trump, who nominated Waller as a governor during his first term in office, has been hectoring the Fed to lower interest rates to reduce borrowing costs on the $36 trillion national debt. Jeff Cox, CNBC, 20 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for hector
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hector
Noun
  • Against all odds, Garfield not only wins out in the end but draws Arthur away from the bully who made his career.
    Scott Tobias, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2025
  • So, who’s the bully and who’s getting bullied?
    Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Millions of seniors stuck due to accessibility issues For seniors today, finding the right place to live out the rest of their lives is intimidating for a number of reasons.
    Sydney Franklin, Cincinnati Enquirer, 9 Nov. 2025
  • Indeed, one of General George Washington’s greatest achievements was to avoid being cornered and forced to capitulate to these intimidating legions in the war’s early years.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • When integrated into multiple systems, the Tactical Edge Electromagnetic Solutions (TEEMS) can jam enemy systems with speed and precision.
    Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 9 Nov. 2025
  • Netanyahu said the country would continue trying to bring home the bodies of Israelis still being held across enemy lines, such as Eli Cohen, an Israeli spy hung in Damascus in 1965.
    NPR, NPR, 9 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • These political executions are a callous attempt by the authorities to frighten and silence an increasingly restive population no longer willing to accept their corrupt and oppressive rule.
    Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Tens of millions of dollars have been spent to redefine reality and to convince our neighbors that this new age is something that should frighten them.
    TIME Video, Time, 5 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • All the while, Sarah is being hunted by corporate intimidators Dawson (Sam Worthington) and Rosetti (Willa Fitzgerald), who want to ensure her silence.
    EW.com, EW.com, 22 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Hector.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hector. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.

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