hectoring 1 of 2

noun

as in browbeating

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hectoring

2 of 2

verb

present participle of hector
as in intimidating
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 hectoring
Noun
Greengrass’s attempts to wrap a political statement up in Bourne clothing is awkward and jarring, and the movie is more preachy and hectoring than particularly enlightening. — Tim Grierson, Vulture, 1 Jan. 2026 Imagine if Clooney had chosen to use his star power to spotlight a genuinely worthy project — the way, say, Sarah Paulson did with Appropriate or Keanu Reeves is doing with Waiting For Godot — rather than the stuffy, moribund, on-the-nose hectoring that was Good Night, and Good Luck? — Greg Evans, Deadline, 31 Dec. 2025 Sure, there's the hectoring of Federal Reserve officials, Chairman Jerome Powell and Governor Lisa Cook, and the attempt by the president to make the central bank another appendage of the White House. — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 18 Sep. 2025
Verb
Pratt was just another angry New Yorker hectoring calumnies against all forms of authority. — Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 14 May 2026 Perhaps more meaningfully, the message is the antithesis of a contrived political pitch or a hectoring sermon. — Philip Elliott, Time, 26 Feb. 2026 Dealing with the hectoring racket of New York fans may well have prepared him to withstand the noise of the Super Bowl. — Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hectoring
  1. bullying
  2. intimidating
  3. bulldozing
  4. browbeating
  5. onslaught
  6. threat
  7. frenzy
  8. revolt
Noun
  • The 2025 pageants aired on Queen Beauty Network instead of The CW following the May 2024 resignations of Miss USA 2023 Noelia Voigt and Miss Teen USA 2023 UmaSofia Srivastava, whose mothers accused organizers of abuse and bullying.
    — Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Their study analyzed more than 2 million chat messages and identified examples involving grooming, sexualization of minors, bullying, violence and sensitive information sharing that escaped moderation.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of bullying
Verb
  • Purdue Every schedule might look intimidating for Purdue, which has lost 18 straight in Big Ten play.
    — Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • For someone searching for a grief community, a grief or trauma support group might seem intimidating.
    — Sneha Dhandapani, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of intimidating
Noun
  • Outside, the ceaseless roar of jackhammering and bulldozing went on as the ballroom, challenged by lawsuits and protected by that titanium fencing, took shape.
    — Matt Viser, The Atlantic, 1 June 2026
  • After Douglas, Miami picked up a 6-5 1/2, 261-pound bulldozing blocking tight end in Kacmarek, who can be an asset in paving holes in the run game.
    — David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 24 Apr. 2026
Definition of bulldozing
Verb
  • His process of doing so involved disparaging his accusers, browbeating people and institutions that no longer wanted to be associated with him, and refusing to accept a path that precluded a return to being a public figure.
    — Elizabeth Spiers, Vanity Fair, 29 Apr. 2026
  • Analysts have suggested a vote from Waller in favor of interest rate cuts, aligning with the president’s browbeating demands for lower borrowing costs—could be seen as a bellwether for his candidacy.
    — Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 28 Jan. 2026
Definition of browbeating
Noun
  • The elimination of those limits could fuel a bigger onslaught of election ads if broadcasters are forced to offer their lowest ad rates to parties and committees.
    — Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Life was an onslaught of bright lights, loud noises, intolerable textures and tastes.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of onslaught
Noun
  • However, the threat of taking California to the Supreme Court may be enough to bring the state’s AG Rob Bonta back to the bargaining table.
    — Jack Dunn, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
  • For those who pursued advanced degrees in education, the threat of student loans was also a burden.
    — Tania Azhang, Sacbee.com, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of threat
Noun
  • The frenzy followed Beijing’s decision in the mid-1980s to ban imports of almost all blood products – except human albumin – amid growing fears over the global HIV/AIDS crisis.
    — CNN Staff, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Preece instead has embraced the frenzy of racing around his roots as a rallying point for his last-ditch charge at the Chase.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of frenzy
Noun
  • His experiences span the years leading up to and after the revolt of 1857.
    — Aishwarya Lakshmi, The Conversation, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Democratic primaries have been shaped by a progressive revolt against the party establishment.
    — Chad de Guzman, Time, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of revolt

Browse Nearby Words

hectored
hectoring
hectors
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Cite this Entry

“Hectoring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hectoring. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

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