What does "hector" mean?
Sometimes in the form Hector: a blustering, noisy, turbulent fellow; a braggart, bully.
Hector
/ˈhɛktə/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Sometimes in the form Hector: a blustering, noisy, turbulent fellow; a braggart, bully.
- Grammar: hector is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: aggravate, annoy, badger, bait.
- Useful contrasts: gentle person, pacifist, praise.
- Usage evidence: Hector is from Peru. He is Peruvian.
How to use "hector"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "hector" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "hector" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "hector" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "hector" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "hector" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "aggravate" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "hector", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Sometimes in the form Hector: a blustering, noisy, turbulent fellow; a braggart, bully.
"Luc[ia]. VVhat would you do you dowty Hectors? / Kick. Hectors! upon my honour, if we can find them out, we'll beat your Gallants for this. / […] Luc. Advant, you Hectors, we are not fit for you: […]"
Verb
- 1 To dominate or intimidate in a blustering way; to bully, to domineer. transitive
"Theſe Nimrods (ſay they) grew great by the Strength of their Limbs and their Vices, engraved their Murthers upon their Shields, and Hectored all the Little and Peaceable People into Peaſantry."
- 2 be bossy towards wordnet
- 3 To behave like a hector or bully; to bluster, to swagger; to bully. intransitive
"[…] I was ſent for by the marſhall, huffed and hectored ſtrangely, thretned, &c., in fine, muſte give bonds to the good behaviour; I refuſed, […]"
Proper Noun
- 1 A Trojan hero in Homer's Iliad. Greek, Roman
- 2 A male given name from Ancient Greek.
- 3 A place name:; A town in the Mackay Region, Queensland, Australia.
- 4 A place name:; A settlement in the West Coast region, New Zealand.
- 5 A place name:; A number of places in the United States:; A town in Pope County, Arkansas.
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 A place name:; A number of places in the United States:; A locality in Clay County, Kentucky.
- 7 A place name:; A number of places in the United States:; A city in Renville County, Minnesota.
- 8 A place name:; A number of places in the United States:; A town in Schuyler County, New York, named after Hector Ely.
- 9 A place name:; A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Putnam County, Ohio, named after Hector Havemeyer.
- 10 A place name:; A number of places in the United States:; A township in Potter County, Pennsylvania.
Example
"Hector is from Peru. He is Peruvian."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "hector"?
Common synonyms include: aggravate, annoy, badger, bait, ballyrag, be at.
How do you use "hector" in a sentence?
Hector is from Peru. He is Peruvian.
How do you pronounce "hector"?
Pronounced /ˈhɛktə/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Hector (“in Greek and Roman mythology, a character in Homer’s Iliad who is the greatest warrior of Troy”), from Late Middle English Hector (“warrior with the qualities of Hector”), from Latin Hectōr or Ancient Greek Ἕκτωρ (Héktōr), from ἕκτωρ (héktōr, “holding fast”), from ἔχειν (ékhein), present active infinitive of ἔχω (ékhō, “to have, own, possess; to hold”), from Proto-Indo-European *seǵʰ- (“to hold; to overpower”). The verb is derived from the noun.
Etymology 2
From Latin Hectōr or Ancient Greek Ἕκτωρ (Héktōr), from ἕκτωρ (héktōr, “holding fast”), from ἔχω (ékhō, “to have, hold”), from Proto-Indo-European *seǵʰ- (“to hold; to overpower”).