heckle
To question harshly in an attempt to find or reveal weaknessesTo question harshly in an attempt to find or reveal weaknesses.
Meaning
3 senses(transitive)To question harshly in an attempt to find or reveal weaknesses.
dazwischenrufen, ausquetschen, examinieren
(transitive)To insult, tease, make fun of or badger, especially during a comedy performance.
Promise that you won't heckle me after my performance.
beleidigen, beschimpfen, verspotten
To prepare (flax) for spinning, using special combs called hackles.
- challenge aggressively
- comb with a heckle
Examples
7 sentencesThis is my first time doing stand up. I hope the crowd doesn't heckle me.
Don't heckle comics.
Don't heckle comedians.
Heckle the police.
Don't heckle during the show. It's a monologue, not a dialogue.
Translations
3 languagesBy meaning 2
Origin
Transferred usage of Middle English hekelen (“to comb flax or hemp with a heckle”), from hTransferred usage of Middle English hekelen (“to comb flax or hemp with a heckle”), from hekele (“a comb for flax or hemp”), from Middle Dutch hekelen (“to prickle, irritate”), from Proto-West Germanic *hakilōn, from Proto-Germanic *hakilōną, related to *hakô (“hook”). Doublet of hatchel. Related to hackle.
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
heckles, heckling, heckled, heckledSynonyms
12 synonymsAntonyms
2 antonymsWord family
3 related wordsLessons for this word
3 lessons- A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
- A1Past simple, regular verbs — Because of its past form
- A2Present perfect: introduction — Because of its past participle
See also
neighbours in the dictionaryDictionary text adapted from Wiktionary (Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Open English WordNet / Princeton WordNet (CC BY 4.0, WordNet License); shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Example sentences and recordings are credited where they appear.