as in bully
a person who teases, threatens, or hurts smaller, weaker, or more vulnerable persons
law penalizing debt collection agencies that operate like hectors
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in to intimidate
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
Examples of hector in a Sentence
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback
about these examples.
Recent Examples on the Web
Joel Kotkin, Orange County Register, 2 Apr. 2017
Schwarzenegger liked to hector state residents on global warming and green energy, and brag about his commitment to wind and solar power.
—Victor Davis Hanson, The Mercury News, 9 Mar. 2017
Tom Gliatto, Peoplemag, 4 May 2024
Honoring American values, moreover, is more than a matter of hectoring repressive regimes.
—Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hector 
Noun
Trump’s proposals to match China’s import fees and to hector companies into keeping jobs in the United States represent a huge threat to the mercantilist Asian economic model.
—Joel Kotkin, Orange County Register, 2 Apr. 2017
Schwarzenegger liked to hector state residents on global warming and green energy, and brag about his commitment to wind and solar power.
—Victor Davis Hanson, The Mercury News, 9 Mar. 2017
Verb
At that point, Amy sets out to systematically destroy top management, never deviating from her conviction that she alone is driven to act by idealism and truth, never aware that people flee her smiling, hectoring presence.
—Tom Gliatto, Peoplemag, 4 May 2024
Honoring American values, moreover, is more than a matter of hectoring repressive regimes.
—Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hector
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hector
Noun
-
The real estate agent she’s chosen happens to be the person most responsible for making Rhiannon such a meek, repressed person: her high school bully, Julia (Mood’s Nicôle Lecky).Judy Berman, TIME, 30 Oct. 2024
-
Racine, whose scars are only on her torso and hands, is the defender, hitting back at their many bullies since childhood.Matt Grobar, Deadline, 30 Oct. 2024
Verb
-
This time, a man wearing a gaiter that covered his nose and mouth was accompanied by three other individuals who appeared intimidating to Raimi.Tresa Baldas, Detroit Free Press, 6 Nov. 2024
-
Arbitration usually takes place in an office or conference room and not the more intense, even intimidating, courtroom venue.Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 4 Nov. 2024
Noun
-
Our job is to give readers an independent, verifiable account of what’s happening, even if the president is calling us enemies of the people or bloodsuckers.Stephen Engelberg, ProPublica, 6 Nov. 2024
-
Mann was aiming at his brother Heinrich, a novelist and an essayist of nearly equal renown, whose liberal politics led him to support Germany’s enemies, France and Britain.George Packer, The Atlantic, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
Like the film itself, Hanks is no-nonsense as a commander who reveals little about himself between barking orders and offering steely words of encouragement to the inexperienced, frightened young men around him.Tim Grierson, Vulture, 2 Nov. 2024
-
Researchers estimate that in the United States, wildfire smoke claims 5,000 to 15,000 lives each year — yet these deaths don’t get attention because there is no dramatic footage of flames to frighten us.Nicholas Kristof, The Mercury News, 17 Sep. 2024
Articles Related to hector
Thesaurus Entries Near hector
Cite this Entry
“Hector.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hector. Accessed 17 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share