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
His character is a severe, hectoring figure; his lessons amount to an exhortation to be as mean as possible when money is concerned. — Christopher Cox, Vanity Fair, 26 Aug. 2026 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
  • The request was the latest salvo in the messy war where Ghost is suing Wilson for defamation, and Wilson is pursuing counterclaims against the producers for alleged bullying, intimidation, and breach of contract.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Skinner also said that evidence of bullying, including specific social posts, text messages, and images referenced in the UIL SEC hearing, were not shown to GCISD athletics until after September’s DEC hearing.
    — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of bullying
Verb
  • The North Port is a major hub for container and cruise traffic, possibly producing an intimidating environment for the shark.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • He was accused of harassing, threatening, and intimidating the women in person, through social media, and on his podcast.
    — Patrick Damp, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of intimidating
Noun
  • The demands to stop the bulldozing and construction of areas in the Big Bend region of Texas are continuing, despite a pause in the work.
    — Ken Molestina, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of bulldozing
Verb
  • Repent and repair Rather than browbeating people into repentance, the Ne’ilah service’s strategy is to boost them up into it, playing upon the biblical idea of the grandeur of humanity.
    — Reuven Kimelman, The Conversation, 18 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of browbeating
Noun
  • Organisms not resistant to this onslaught—anything from microbes and crops to whales and humans—would experience an almost violently severe sunburn.
    — Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Florida Democratic Senate candidate Angie Nixon and independent progressive Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders countered the recent onslaught of campaign advertisements against her in a double-header rally in Gainesville Sunday.
    — Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of onslaught
Noun
  • Beyond the immediate threat to crude supplies, damage to refining infrastructure could pose a more persistent challenge to global energy markets.
    — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Trump has repeated threats to take out power plants and other infrastructure.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of threat
Noun
  • Concerns also remain that their prices shot too high following a yearslong frenzy, even though companies in the industry continue to report growth.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Stocks that have benefited from the frenzy over AI have been swinging over rising worries about their path ahead.
    — Damian J. Troise, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of frenzy
Noun
  • That might have caused something of a revolt among American NFL fans wanting to drive down the road to their local team's stadium and enjoy America's game – in America.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026
  • The combination of slow growth, high inflation, profligate spending, and soaring debt has stirred a revolt in financial markets.
    — Jason Ma, Fortune, 19 Oct. 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 28 Oct. 2026.

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