as in bully
a person who teases, threatens, or hurts smaller, weaker, or more vulnerable persons
law penalizing debt collection agencies that operate like hectors
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in to intimidate
to make timid or fearful by or as if by threats
the judge warned the attorney that hectoring the witness with aggressive questioning would not be allowed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
OregonLive.com, 30 June 2017
And Remy places McCarthy on Baldwin’s subcommittee when in fact the Wisconsin senator never actually served as a member but instead had received, as a courtesy, permission from Baldwin to attend the subcommittee’s hearings (which McCarthy then exploited to harass and hector witnesses).
—Lawrence Douglas, Foreign Affairs, 17 June 2017
Jeff Cox, CNBC, 20 June 2025
No, Tim Walz and JB Pritzker and Kathy Hochul were invited to Washington to be props to be hectored by Chairman James Comer and his allies.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for hector
Noun
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
And Remy places McCarthy on Baldwin’s subcommittee when in fact the Wisconsin senator never actually served as a member but instead had received, as a courtesy, permission from Baldwin to attend the subcommittee’s hearings (which McCarthy then exploited to harass and hector witnesses).
—Lawrence Douglas, Foreign Affairs, 17 June 2017
Verb
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
No, Tim Walz and JB Pritzker and Kathy Hochul were invited to Washington to be props to be hectored by Chairman James Comer and his allies.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for hector
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hector
Noun
-
Before baring his claws in Bon Temps, the actor was Peter Parker’s bully, football star Flash Thompson, in Spider-Man (2002).—
Matt Cabral,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 Oct. 2025
-
The bully now becomes life, kicking your ass every day.—
Hanif Abdurraqib,
New Yorker,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
While the look of huitlacoche may be intimidating — even off-putting — to some, its distinctive flavor is relatively mild.—
Sara Rosenthal,
Denver Post,
30 Sep. 2025
-
While exhibitions are the biggest draw, the site has also welcomed more than 5,000 people to its open days, including 1,600 students from nearby schools who might feel intimidated to step into Chanel’s offices in central Paris.—
Joelle Diderich,
Footwear News,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
While it’s commonly believed that cats and dogs are inherent enemies, the American Kennel Club (AKC) suggests that isn’t always the case.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Designed to mislead enemies The inflatable structure mimics the silhouette of advanced aircraft when viewed from satellites or the air.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
If the intent was to frighten the population, the move succeeded.—
Hilary Whiteman,
CNN Money,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Within my book, one of the things that frightens me most is the fact that with censorship, there’s often not a clear red line, right?—
Fiction Non Fiction
October 2,
Literary Hub,
2 Oct. 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
Cite this Entry
“Hector.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hector. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share