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Definition of "hector" []

  • A bully. (noun)
  • To intimidate or dominate in a blustering way. (verb-transitive)
  • To behave like a bully; swagger. (verb-intransitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "hector" in a sentence
  • "But in a speech to the Fabian Society in London, Mr Johnson made a veiled attack on the Conservative leader by saying the Government does not have a licence to 'hector' and 'lecture' people on how they live their life."
  • "In pt ii. of the _Niebelungen Lied_, he sees his sons and liegemen struck down without making the least effort to save them, and is as unlike the Attila of history as a "hector" is to the noble Trojan "the protector of mankind.""
  • "David Cameron has said it would be wrong for him to "hector" Chinese politicians and business leaders over human rights"