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
  • Separately, an uncle told the Observer Juliana had struggled with her mental health and severe bullying at school.
    — Maveah Griffith, Charlotte Observer, 27 July 2026
  • Hye-ri, the spoiled daughter whose bullying acted as a catalyst for this entire sequence of events, has been sent abroad following the public humiliation of her family.
    — Kayti Burt, Time, 27 July 2026
Definition of bullying
Verb
  • Too many people still viewed the nation’s performing-arts center as an intimidating marble monument for just the elite.
    — Janay Kingsberry, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026
  • Tapping into the latter, Momoa’s onscreen transformation is nothing short of intimidating.
    — Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 30 July 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
  • Bercich said the day the Metrodome roof caved in, Ryan’s car idled on the side of the road, unable to handle the onslaught of snow.
    — Alec Lewis, New York Times, 24 July 2026
  • Meanwhile, Honda is planning the release of a new hybrid system that will better fit larger vehicles, in order to maintain its position in the face of the onslaught.
    — Robert Ferris, CNBC, 23 July 2026
Definition of onslaught
Noun
  • Being on the fringes of the MVP tier as an annual 100-point pace threat while being paid just $8 million for a long time will have that effect.
    — Dom Luszczyszyn, New York Times, 22 July 2026
  • But the threat alone has persuaded some ships to abandon their plans to exit the Red Sea heading south.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 22 July 2026
Definition of threat
Noun
  • In addition, chip shortages due to the AI boom have resulted in price hikes for consumer electronics, with hyperscalers showing no signs that their capital expenditure frenzy is cooling off.
    — Jason Ma, Fortune, 25 July 2026
  • The Knicks claiming the 2026 NBA championship in an emphatic 4-1 gentleman’s sweep of the San Antonio Spurs sent the Eastern Conference into a frenzy.
    — Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 25 July 2026
Definition of frenzy
Noun
  • His position is no different from that of his counterparts in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, other South Asian nations which also faced Gen Z revolts that saw the exit of the existing order.
    — Vasuki Shastry, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
  • The decision led to a revolt by New Hampshire, which has a state law requiring it to hold the first primary, and penalties that kept Biden off the ballot in the state's primary.
    — Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 24 July 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 1 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on hectoring

Nglish: Translation of hectoring for Spanish Speakers

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