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:
Shoulder to shoulder alongside Hector, I wouldn’t trade a single moment of it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 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
The first trial in 2003 saw Hector Dick give evidence against Fraser.
From BBC ● Feb. 23, 2026
“This place is so well protected it’s downright absurd,” Hector says, waving at the door.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
He gets angry sometimes, but in this tournament he has yet to noticeably hector the refs or rumble with his opponents.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
He couldn’t simply hector away the constraints of a courtroom and the clear language of the law.
From Seattle Times ● May 31, 2024
I do not want to nag or hector.
From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2021
Even the pyramids in Egypt, impressive as they are, seem to hector us across the ages, with Ozymandian futility.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 4, 2020
Beneath the tight-trimmed beard his heavy jaw clenched hard, yet he did not hector her about titles.
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
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.
