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
  • Yet research consistently links heavy smartphone and social media use among children and adolescents to poor sleep, anxiety and depression, bullying, attention difficulties and academic challenges.
    — Elizabeth Dowdell, Fortune, 15 July 2026
  • Formal bullying and harassment cases have increased at the BBC, a trend expected following the publication of its Culture Review and the rollout of the Call It Out campaign.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 14 July 2026
Definition of bullying
Verb
  • Although moving an entire kitchen might sound intimidating, Shoemaker says years of DIY renovations had quietly prepared them for a project of this scale.
    — Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 22 July 2026
  • The products are designed to feel intuitive rather than intimidating.
    — Tiana Randall, Forbes.com, 22 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
  • The left anticipated the spending onslaught and is framing the outside money as a desperate play to stop a populist candidate — which isn’t wrong.
    — David Weigel, semafor.com, 15 July 2026
  • Ibiza is hostile to new club owners, and Ushuaïa faced the usual onslaught.
    — Max Marshall, Vanity Fair, 15 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
  • The feeding frenzy for Parsons follows the similar hunt to land Obsession director Barker’s next original project.
    — Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 17 July 2026
  • After all, cyclosporiasis cases traditionally rise in the summer, and the frenzy of news around the parasite likely prompted people who typically would have weathered the illness at home to get tested.
    — Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 17 July 2026
Definition of frenzy
Noun
  • Andrew Garfield trades modern superheroes for medieval revolution in the trailer for The Uprising, Paul Greengrass’ historical drama inspired by England’s 1381 peasant revolt.
    — Sophie Miller, Rolling Stone, 16 July 2026
  • See The Sight Of John Brown's Raid Near the rivers sits the original armory guard house, where in 1859, abolitionist John Brown led a legendary but ultimately unsuccessful slave revolt.
    — Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 11 July 2026
Definition of revolt

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hectoring
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Cite this Entry

“Hectoring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hectoring. Accessed 25 Jul. 2026.

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