HECTORING Synonyms: 134 Similar and Opposite Words

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

Noun

In a statement on its Facebook page, Wright State University did not directly address the bullying allegations, but said counseling and support services had been made available to students, faculty and staff.

— Catherine E. Shoichet, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2026
Many are worried that social media continues to increase the risks of depression, anxiety, eating disorders, bullying and other harms.

— Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of bullying

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

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

This isn’t really about an existential threat coming for the status quo of professional golf anymore.

— Brody Miller, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Still, the threats have increased for the islands of Niihau and Kauai because the storm's forecast track has shifted steadily eastward, the National Hurricane Center said.

— Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of threat

Noun

News that Adele won the show was announced on Monday, and two days later, the full cast of celebrities and pros was revealed, sending the Dancing fandom into a frenzy.

— McKinley Franklin, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2026
So when Trader Joe’s dropped a similar formula at a fraction of the cost, skincare enthusiasts went into a bit of a frenzy.

— Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of frenzy

Noun

The tax revolt was a successful attempt by a small group of ideologues to capitalize on people’s justifiable anger at the cost-of-living crisis that followed the war in Vietnam, along with California’s runaway home prices.

— Maggie McGowan, The New York Review of Books, 5 Sep. 2026
Corbet issued a statement defending the AI use cases amid swelling online revolt.

— Jake Angelo, semafor.com, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of revolt

Browse Nearby Words

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“Hectoring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hectoring. Accessed 12 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of hectoring

noun

verb

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