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
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
  • Sometimes, victims are told that bullying is a misunderstanding, and the bully should be forgiven.
    — Julieta Camarillo Diaz, AJC.com, 6 July 2026
  • 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, The Conversation, 6 July 2026
Definition of bullying
Verb
  • Although stony-faced and intimidating when first met, Stella has a softer side as well as reasons to be so bitter and brusque.
    — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 16 July 2026
  • Platner, for example, hung onto support from prominent Democrats even after a report of intimidating behavior toward girlfriends.
    — Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 15 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
  • Salgado Araujo’s death has sparked an onslaught of demands for accountability from state and local officials.
    — Kayla Hayempour, NBC news, 10 July 2026
  • Others worry the onslaught of information will create a culture of hyperfocusing on data, leading to unnecessary panic and restrictive food behaviors.
    — Lauren Chan, STAT, 8 July 2026
Definition of onslaught
Noun
  • The threat of catastrophic flooding won’t ease up until Friday, as storms drop rain at 2 to 4 inches per hour.
    — Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 15 July 2026
  • Authorities said the inmate had been in custody since April 10, 2024, while awaiting trial on charges of robbery, criminal threats, brandishing a weapon and petty theft.
    — Daniel Hunt, Sacbee.com, 15 July 2026
Definition of threat
Noun
  • The South Korean chipmaker is the latest to ride a frenzy of investor interest in firms perceived as reaping big gains from the AI revolution that has spawned hundreds of billions of dollars in capital spending.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 10 July 2026
  • Years of soaring home prices, especially in the early part of this decade when rock-bottom mortgage rates fueled a buying frenzy, have left many would-be home buyers frozen out of the market.
    — Alex Veiga, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
Definition of frenzy
Noun
  • That contrast can give takeovers the appearance of a spontaneous revolt, one that illuminates the extreme economic disparities of our era.
    — Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 10 July 2026
  • The cross itself was erected to commemorate the death of 21 Franciscan friars during a revolt against colonial occupation.
    — Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 7 July 2026
Definition of revolt

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Cite this Entry

“Hectoring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hectoring. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

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