heckle
verb (used with object)
to harass (a public speaker, performer, etc.) with impertinent questions, gibes, or the like; badger.
heckled
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past participleof heckle.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
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past tense formof heckle.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
heckleverb (used with object)to harass (a public speaker, performer, etc.) with impertinent questions, gibes, or the like; badger.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He once heckled Anne Sexton at a poetry reading.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi was heckled at a World War II memorial event by protesters angry about Tokyo's further shift away from its decades-long pacifist stance, television footage showed.
From Barron's ● Jun. 24, 2026
A woman heckled the mayor just as he was about to speak and accused city leadership of ignoring concerns of Muslim and Palestinian communities.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 21, 2026
The prime minister has been heckled during a visit to Golders Green, the north London suburb where two Jewish men were stabbed on Wednesday.
From BBC ● Apr. 30, 2026
Ducks heckled the swan, but a swan only notices what it wishes to.
From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell
