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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
His character is a severe, hectoring figure; his lessons amount to an exhortation to be as mean as possible when money is concerned. — Christopher Cox, Vanity Fair, 26 Aug. 2026 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 investigation into Toro follows a complaint from Bigelow that alleges the workplace culture under Toro’s leadership is characterized as oppressive, bullying and fearful, according to the complaint.
    — Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 20 Sep. 2026
  • The Wright State University student, who was studying neuroscience, struggled with the shame and bullying that came with wearing an ankle monitor, according to his family.
    — Lauren Costantino September 19, Miami Herald, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of bullying
Verb
  • Central Connecticut State University President Zulma Toro resigned Wednesday following an investigation into a complaint alleging the workplace culture under her leadership was oppressive, bullying and intimidating.
    — Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Speaking of intimidating travel, the Rams made a bold choice in Week 1 to travel very shortly before the game to Australia and play the 49ers.
    — OutKick, FOXNews.com, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of intimidating
Noun
  • The demands to stop the bulldozing and construction of areas in the Big Bend region of Texas are continuing, despite a pause in the work.
    — Ken Molestina, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of bulldozing
Verb
  • Repent and repair Rather than browbeating people into repentance, the Ne’ilah service’s strategy is to boost them up into it, playing upon the biblical idea of the grandeur of humanity.
    — Reuven Kimelman, The Conversation, 18 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of browbeating
Noun
  • Thanks to the platform’s algorithms, the Heated Rivalry onslaught began with dozens of posts that pushed other content off my news feed.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Sep. 2026
  • The onslaught amounted to a rare success for Ukraine’s summer drone campaign against Moscow, which had failed to breach any of the city’s air defenses for months.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of onslaught
Noun
  • Ben Ross tagged at third, but Lowe’s strong one-bounce throw got to catcher Moisés Ballesteros in time for a sweeping tag-out of Ross out at home to end Minnesota’s threat.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Meanwhile, a new tropical storm has formed in the Atlantic, named Fay, but does not appear to pose a threat to land.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of threat
Noun
  • Test your knowledge of fast-food frenzy, campaign controversy and more in this week's American Culture Quiz.
    — Staff, FOXNews.com, 25 Sep. 2026
  • That puts the target on AI stocks, which soared for years in the frenzy around the technology.
    — Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of frenzy
Noun
  • Of these three films, The Uprising is admittedly the least heist-explicit; Paul Greengrass’s shaky cam mostly follows marching mobs lambasting the king and furious revolts against soldiers and tax collectors.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Advertisement By midsummer, the revolt reached its breaking point.
    — JP Mangalindan, Time, 11 Sep. 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 26 Sep. 2026.

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