heckle
verb
heck·le ˈhe-kəl 
heckled; heckling ˈhe-k(ə-)liŋ
transitive verb
: to harass and try to disconcert with questions, challenges, or gibes : badger
Synonyms
- bait
- hassle
- haze
- needle
- ride
- taunt
- tease
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Several protesters were heckling the speaker at the rally. The players were being heckled by the fans. People in the crowd were booing and heckling as she tried to speak.
Recent Examples on the Web For 650 years, crowds swarmed Oxford Street to heckle convicts being carted from the prison at one end to the gallows at the other. 
Alexander Smith, NBC News, 15 Aug. 2022 Long before, some Peacocks fans near the court had seized the sporting spirit of Philadelphia and begun to heckle North Carolina, which had led outright for all but 18 seconds and once had a 27-point advantage. New York Times, 27 Mar. 2022 His words were interrupted by a group of men who had gathered several yards away to heckle him. Melanie Mason Staff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 9 Dec. 2021 David Krumholtz, one of Rogen’s best friends and star of The Santa Clause, stopped by to heckle Rogen, who was there to promote his new HBOMax series, Santa Inc.. Morgan Baila, Vulture, 14 Nov. 2021 The people who had to wait when someone blocked the way with a truck and got out to heckle. BostonGlobe.com, 12 Sep. 2021 The mob proceeded to heckle and accost Lady Bird and LBJ, who was Kennedy’s running mate. Michael Granberry, Dallas News, 10 Sep. 2021 This was the first chance Dodgers fans had to heckle the Astros in person at Chavez Ravine since their sign-stealing scandal — banging on a real trash can to signal opponents' pitches — was revealed late in 2019. Joe Reedy, ajc, 4 Aug. 2021 There's also the participatory and often combative crowds, known in recent years to heckle opponents to the point of completely drowning them out. Joe Sonka, The Courier-Journal, 3 Aug. 2021 See More
Alexander Smith, NBC News, 15 Aug. 2022 Long before, some Peacocks fans near the court had seized the sporting spirit of Philadelphia and begun to heckle North Carolina, which had led outright for all but 18 seconds and once had a 27-point advantage. New York Times, 27 Mar. 2022 His words were interrupted by a group of men who had gathered several yards away to heckle him. Melanie Mason Staff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 9 Dec. 2021 David Krumholtz, one of Rogen’s best friends and star of The Santa Clause, stopped by to heckle Rogen, who was there to promote his new HBOMax series, Santa Inc.. Morgan Baila, Vulture, 14 Nov. 2021 The people who had to wait when someone blocked the way with a truck and got out to heckle. BostonGlobe.com, 12 Sep. 2021 The mob proceeded to heckle and accost Lady Bird and LBJ, who was Kennedy’s running mate. Michael Granberry, Dallas News, 10 Sep. 2021 This was the first chance Dodgers fans had to heckle the Astros in person at Chavez Ravine since their sign-stealing scandal — banging on a real trash can to signal opponents' pitches — was revealed late in 2019. Joe Reedy, ajc, 4 Aug. 2021 There's also the participatory and often combative crowds, known in recent years to heckle opponents to the point of completely drowning them out. Joe Sonka, The Courier-Journal, 3 Aug. 2021 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English hekelen to dress flax, scratch, from heckele hackle; akin to Old High German hāko hook — more at hook
First Known Use
circa 1825, in the meaning defined above
heckles
verb
as in taunts
to attack repeatedly with mean put-downs or insults the players were heckled by disappointed fans Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- taunts
- teases
- mocks
- ridicules
- annoys
- bothers
- jeers
- rides
- hassles
- baits
- tortures
- hazes
- irritates
- needles
- jibes
- gibes
- plagues
- troubles
- picks on
- bullies
- tries
- gripes
- nags
- riles
- derides
- pesters
- exasperates
- irks
- spites
- harasses
- grates
- tests
- bugs
- goads
- aggravates
- frosts
- vexes
- badgers
- peeves
- itches
- torments
- ruffles
- narks
- chafes
- makes game of
- piques
- discomforts
- disturbs
- nettles
- dogs
- frets
- bedevils
- rasps
- agitates
- persecutes
- hectors
- galls
- perturbs
- harries
- gets
- hounds
- browbeats
- terrorizes
- puts out
- aggrieves
- hagrides
- burns (up)
- beleaguers
- gnaws (at)
- hacks (off)
