heckler

American  

[hek-ler, hek-uh-ler] / ˈhɛk lər, ˈhɛk ə lər /

noun

1. a person who harasses a public speaker or performer with impertinent questions, insults, etc..

   As a comedian, you have to face any hecklers in the crowd head-on and deal with them, because if you don't, they can take over the show.

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Etymology

Origin of heckler

heckle ( def. ) + -er ¹

Explanation

Have you ever screamed horrible things during a sports event, or taunted someone with cruel jokes? You might be a heckler, and you’re probably not very well-liked. The word heckler is rooted in an old Dutch verb that means “to irritate, prickle,” and hecklers can be irritating indeed. They sit at baseball games and yell insults at the players, or start booing during a spelling bee. Some comedians love hecklers and often will start heckling them back. Other comedians will jump off stage and attack a heckler — so keep that in mind if you feel like adding heckler to your résumé.

Example Sentences

A heckler interrupted Farage's speech before being escorted out by security.

From BBC • Mar. 5, 2026

Speaking over the occasional heckler, he told the crowd: “My life, your life, all of our lives are better off for the companies and the things that billionaires have done for California.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 8, 2026

And the King heard that unhappiness first hand from a heckler in Lichfield this week, who shouted: "How long have you known about Andrew and Epstein?"

From BBC • Oct. 30, 2025

Youssef grinned, teased the unseen heckler for missing the half-dozen nods he’d already dropped, and finally waved an arm toward the wings: “Put your hands together for Zohran Mamdani!”

From Slate • Jun. 30, 2025

My other heckler is husky, so she gets a blue-and-white vertically striped dress made in Bengal, a white bandana around her black curls, and big hoop earrings.

From "You Bring the Distant Near" by Mitali Perkins

Related Words

• dissident
• militant