Word of the Day
: March 9, 2026hector
playWhat It Means
To hector someone is to criticize or question them in a threatening way.
// The judge ordered the attorney to stop hectoring the witness.
hector in Context
“He continued to hector Neal about his inattention to business (‘I have been waiting to hear from you,’ again, and again, and again), without any tangible results.” — Jem Aswad, Variety, 5 Aug. 2025
Did You Know?
In Homer’s Iliad, Hector, the eldest son of King Priam of Troy, was a model soldier, son, father, and friend, the champion of the Trojan army until he was killed by the Greek hero Achilles. So how did his name become a verb meaning “to intimidate or harass”? That use was likely influenced by gangs of rowdy street toughs who roamed London in the 17th century and called themselves “Hectors.” They may have thought themselves gallant young blades (that’s sense 3b(3)), but to the general populace they were swaggering bullies who intimidated passersby and vandalized property.
Test Your Vocabulary with M-W Quizzes
Quiz
Fill in the blanks to complete a verb meaning “to talk or act with noisy, swaggering threats”: b _ _ s _ _ r.
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