Heckle

Quick meaning: Heckle is a verb meaning (transitive) To question harshly in an attempt to find or reveal weaknesses.

Meaning

(transitive) To question harshly in an attempt to find or reveal weaknesses.

More Meanings

1. (transitive) To insult, tease, make fun of or badger, especially during a comedy performance.
2. (textiles) To prepare (flax) for spinning, using special combs called hackles.
3. The long shining feathers on a cock's neck.
4. A feather ornament in the full-dress bonnets of Highland regiments.
5. An rude interruption during a show, especially a comedy performance
6. Alternative form of hackle (“tool for separating flax”).

Example Sentences

Promise that you won't heckle me after my performance.

It is the large brown bonxies that heckle me as I pass across the high moor and approach the sheep gate.

The stand-up dealt well with the heckles from the crowd, replying with raucous banter to raise plenty of laughs.

As late as 1854, the antichoir members of an Ohio Methodist congregation heckled the choir whenever it tried to sing, hoping to "bring discredit on the singers by creating discord."

Word Forms

• heckles
• heckling
• heckled

Synonyms for heckle

Depending on context, synonyms include badger, barrack, gird, jeer, roast, taunt.

Antonyms for heckle

Common opposites include cheer, incite.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include harass, hatchel, hackle, annoy, ride, needle.

Related Dictionary Tools