hectoring 1 of 2

noun

as in browbeating

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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
  • Many of them are angry that his life was taken, and say that more resources to combat gun violence and bullying should be available.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026
  • The victim’s heartbroken father said his son had been bullied by a couple of students at the school who were recently suspended — and believes the bullying may have something to do with Javits’ murder.
    — Julian Roberts-Grmela, New York Daily News, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of bullying
Verb
  • Watching their fearlessness in an environment that outsiders so often frame as hostile or intimidating was another small revelation—a joyous example of how human life continues to flourish in this wildest of places.
    — Liam Hess, Vogue, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The Protection from Abusive Passengers Act would bar passengers fined or convicted for assaulting or intimidating crew or other travellers.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 3 Nov. 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
  • Marshall’s campaign, in turn, faced an onslaught of controversies that his critics amplified in the race’s final weeks, including his medical debt collection practices and the blurred lines between his office and campaign staff.
    — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 4 Nov. 2026
  • The El Niño event is expected to peak in December, and experts say its onslaught could continue for months afterward.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of onslaught
Noun
  • Fiscal threats from Washington are putting our financial future at risk.
    — Ryder Kessler, New York Daily News, 1 Nov. 2026
  • The systems also have the ability to react to drone threats that are detected using both passive and active sensor systems, such as electro-optical and infrared cameras, or Ku-band radars.
    — Muskan Bhatia, Interesting Engineering, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of threat
Noun
  • Friday’s biggest lift for the S&P 500 came from Nvidia, the chip company that’s become the face of the boom and possible bust of the AI frenzy.
    — Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Sweet treats include a new limited-time cake pop inspired by the Bearista Cold Cup, which sparked a fan frenzy during last year’s holiday merchandise drop.
    — Erin Clements, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of frenzy
Noun
  • The legendary protests of May, 1968, began as a student revolt against the bureaucracy of the French university system, and brought France to the verge of revolution yet again.
    — Maurice Samuels, New Yorker, 29 Oct. 2026
  • That might have caused something of a revolt among American NFL fans wanting to drive down the road to their local team's stadium and enjoy America's game – in America.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of revolt

Browse Nearby Words

hectored
hectoring
hectors
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hectoring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hectoring. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of cockamamie

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

The Words of the Week - Nov. 6

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All