Hector
noun
the eldest son of Priam and husband of Andromache: the greatest Trojan hero in the Trojan War, killed by Achilles.
Hector
American
[hek-ter]
/ ˈhɛk tər /
noun
-
Classical Mythology. the eldest son of Priam and husband of Andromache: the greatest Trojan hero in the Trojan War, killed by Achilles.
-
(lowercase) a blustering, domineering person; a bully.
-
a male given name.
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
hector
1
British
/ ˈhɛktə /
verb
noun
Hector
2
British
/ ˈhɛktə /
noun
Hector
Cultural
Etymology
Origin of Hector
< Latin < Greek Héktōr, special use of adj. héktōr holding fast
Explanation
To hector is to boss around or verbally bully someone. An older brother might hector his little sister until she hands over part of her Halloween candy. When you bombard someone with words, nagging and badgering until you get what you want, you hector. A teacher might feel the need to hector a class that consistently forgets to hand in homework assignments, and a playground bully might hector another child to give him her lunch money. The verb hector comes from the character in Greek mythology — Hector — who rallied the Trojans to keep fighting.
Vocabulary lists containing hector
"The Odyssey" by Homer, Books 19–24
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The Boys in the Boat
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Bartleby the Scrivener
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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.
See Examples For:
Sutherland-born landowner, Gen Sir Hector Munro of Novar, had the folly built and paid for it with prize money and pensions he earned serving with the British Army in India.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
“I’ve talked to many people, and they said that Hector is the best around,” Atharv Patil, a first-year USC computer science master’s student, said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
For now, I am reminded of the comment made by “Saki,” aka Hector Hugh Munro, a famous English writer from over 100 years ago.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
NAIROBI—The Nairobi Orchestra walked on stage for a recent afternoon concert ready to perform a demanding selection of pieces, including Hector Berlioz’s moody 1830 “Symphonie Fantastique.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026
“You despised every minute, I can tell,” Hector Bowen says with a laugh.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
But the plays don’t hector or propound moral lessons.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 6, 2022
But Mr. Biden should strive to persuade rather than to hector.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 20, 2021
I do not want to nag or hector.
From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2021
We can spend the next year trying to hector independents out of the race.
From Salon ● Nov. 2, 2019
“Paid subordinates! What! you are my paid subordinate, are you? Oh yes, I had forgotten the salary! Well then, on that mercenary ground, will you agree to let me hector a little?”
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
