Synonyms of heel

heel 1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈhēl 

as in bastard

a person whose behavior is offensive to others

felt like a heel when she found out that she'd blamed the wrong person

Synonyms & Similar Words

• bastard
• jerk
• dog
• clown
• snake
• skunk
• rat
• creep
• beast
• joker
• brute
• reptile
• toad
• villain
• swine
• brat
• pill
• sod
• louse
• scum
• idiot
• bleeder
• hound
• bugger
• boor
• cur
• vermin
• varmint
• bounder
• rotter
• moron
• cad
• son of a gun
• crumb
• cretin
• slime
• stinker
• scumbag
• schmuck
• so-and-so
• blighter
• lout
• churl
• barbarian
• buzzard
• dirtbag
• fink
• crud
• nuisance
• fool
• slob
• sleaze
• savage
• scab
• slimeball
• sleazebag
• stinkard
• rat fink
• scuzzball
• sleazeball
• chuff
• scoundrel
• nerd
• wretch
• caveman
• rogue
• loudmouth
• rascal
• blockhead
• Neanderthal
• vulgarian
• roughneck
• turkey
• lowlife
• booby
• dolt
• imbecile
• pest
• nut
• jackass
• dope
• scamp
• goon
• airhead
• snip
• insolent
• ninny
• nincompoop
• miscreant
• dink
• snot
• snob
• snoot
• dork
• doofus
• schmo
• nitwit
• schmoe
• nit
• dweeb
• birdbrain
• half-wit

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• hero
• gentleman
• lady
• heroine
• idol
• role model
• angel
• saint

heel

2 of 4

verb (1)

as in to slope

to set or cause to be at an angle

the strong gust heeled the sailboat almost to the point of capsizing, but we managed to right it

Synonyms & Similar Words

• slope
• tilt
• angle
• lean
• tip
• incline
• cock
• slant
• pitch
• list
• cant
• bend
• bank
• deviate
• descend
• retreat
• swerve
• veer
• decline
• recline

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• level
• straighten
• flatten
• even

heels

3 of 4

noun (2)

plural of heel

as in dogs

a person whose behavior is offensive to others

felt like a heel when she found out that she'd blamed the wrong person

Synonyms & Similar Words

• dogs
• jerks
• bastards
• clowns
• skunks
• skunk
• snakes
• sons of guns
• creeps
• jokers
• toads
• pills
• rats
• beasts
• bounders
• reptiles
• stinkards
• swine
• hounds
• louses
• brutes
• buggers
• varmints
• villains
• boors
• rotters
• idiots
• stinkers
• scums
• morons
• vermin
• scuzzballs
• brats
• rat finks
• cruds
• buzzards
• crumbs
• curs
• sods
• sleazes
• blighters
• bleeders
• dirtbags
• slimes
• cads
• so-and-so's
• barbarians
• cretins
• schmucks
• scumbags
• finks
• nuts
• chuffs
• nuisances
• louts
• churls
• so-and-sos
• sleazebags
• fools
• slimeballs
• scabs
• sleazeballs
• boobies
• nerds
• savages
• slobs
• scoundrels
• dufuses
• cavemen
• vulgarians
• rascals
• wretches
• roughnecks
• loudmouths
• Neanderthals
• rogues
• blockheads
• lowlives
• snips
• nincompoops
• imbeciles
• dopes
• lowlifes
• turkeys
• goons
• airheads
• dolts
• miscreants
• snots
• insolents
• scamps
• ninnies
• dinks
• doofuses
• snobs
• birdbrains
• pests
• dorks
• schmoes
• nits
• jackasses
• nitwits
• dweebs
• snoots
• half-wits

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• heroes
• ladies
• gentlemen
• role models
• heroines
• idols
• angels
• saints

heels

4 of 4

verb (2)

present tense third-person singular of heel

as in slopes

to set or cause to be at an angle

the strong gust heeled the sailboat almost to the point of capsizing, but we managed to right it

Synonyms & Similar Words

• slopes
• tilts
• angles
• tips
• leans
• cocks
• inclines
• lists
• slants
• pitches
• banks
• cants
• bends
• deviates
• descends
• retreats
• veers
• declines
• reclines
• swerves

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• levels
• straightens
• flattens
• evens

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of heel

Noun

Instead of being forced to flee his home and start over somewhere new, John Dutton (Kevin Costner) digs in his boot heels. —Ben Travers, IndieWire, 19 June 2025

The layoffs come on the heels of several staffing changes at the church in recent months. —Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 June 2025

Verb

People in Trump's orbit have talked for years about placing big new taxes on endowment revenue as a way of bringing universities to heel. —Ars Staff, ArsTechnica, 17 Apr. 2025

The negotiations that led to the deal, recounted in interviews with people briefed on the matter, demonstrate Mr. Trump’s new strategy for bringing law firms to heel. —Ben Protess, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025

Phrases Containing heel

• Achilles' heel