Meaning & use
heckling
Last updated
“heckling” is a form of “heckle”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitive or intransitive
The -ing form of heckle: shouting rude or challenging remarks at a speaker or performer to interrupt or upset them.
Grammar: Works with or without an object: they were heckling the mayor, or they were heckling all night.
Patterns
- heckle someone
- heckle at someone
Protesters were heckling the minister as he tried to speak.
Two men at the back kept heckling throughout the comedian's set.
Stop heckling and let the candidate answer the question.
noununcountable
Loud interruptions or taunts aimed at someone speaking or performing in public.
Grammar: Has no plural: the speaker ignored the heckling.
Patterns
- endure heckling
- drown out with heckling
The senator faced constant heckling from the crowd.
Her calm voice rose above the heckling.
The comedian is used to heckling and answers it with jokes.
Common combinations
- constant heckling
- Constant heckling made it hard to hear the speech.
- face heckling
- The candidate faced heckling at every rally.
- drowned out by heckling
- His closing words were drowned out by heckling.
- heckling from the crowd
- There was loud heckling from the crowd at the back.
- endure heckling
- Comedians must learn to endure heckling with good humor.
Synonyms and how they differ
- jeering
- Jeering is mocking shouts in general, while heckling is aimed at a live speaker and is meant to interrupt them.
- barracking
- Barracking is a British and Australian word for noisy interruption, especially at sports or politics, and is a little less hostile than heckling.
- taunting
- Taunting is deliberately provoking someone with insults and can happen anywhere, whereas heckling needs an audience and a performer.
- interrupting
- Interrupting is neutral and can be polite or accidental, whereas heckling is deliberately hostile or mocking.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: heckling or hectoring?
heckling vs hectoring
Hectoring means bullying someone with a loud, domineering speech, whereas heckling means interrupting a speaker.
Practice
Which situation is the clearest example of heckling?
Choose one answer.
Heckling means interrupting a live speaker with hostile or mocking shouts. A polite question and applause are not hostile interruptions, and a review comes afterward rather than during the event.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “heckling”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.