Heckle
Contents
English
Verb
Heckle (third-person singular simple present Heckles, present participle heckling, simple past and past participle heckled)
- (transitive) To question harshly in an attempt to find or reveal weaknesses.
- (transitive) To insult, tease, make fun of or badger.
- Promise that you won't heckle me after my performance.
Synonyms for Heckle
bait, challenge, hector, harass, pester, badger, annoy, hound, molest, pursue, tease, taunt, jeer.
Antonyms for Heckle
console, help, encourage, applaud, promote, uphold, support.
Related terms
Thesaurus
aggravate, annoy, badger, bait, barrack, be at, bedevil, beset, bother, bristle, brown off, bug, bullyrag, burn up, card, chivy, comb, curry, devil, discomfit, discompose, disconcert, distemper, disturb, dog, embarrass, exasperate, exercise, fash, faze, get, gripe, hackle, harass, harry, hassle, hatchel, hector, hound, irk, irritate, jeer, miff, molest, nag, needle, nettle, nudzh, peeve, persecute, pester, pick on, pique, plague, pluck the beard, pother, provoke, rake, rattle, ride, rile, roil, ruffle, taunt, tease, torment, try the patience, tweak the nose, vex, worry
Etymology
Transferred usage of hekelen (to comb flax or hemp with a heckle) < Middle English hekele (a comb for flax or hemp) < Middle Dutch hekelen (to prickle, irritate) < Proto-Germanic *hakilōnan (related to hackle)
