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

Example Sentences

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

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

Pham then motioned for the heckler to come onto the field, where presumably he would address the spat once and for all, man to man.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 25, 2025

"It changes the atmosphere when a heckler goes too far, but it really is about gaging, do the people around me want me to keep going?"

From BBC • Feb. 14, 2025

One of the reasons laughter is so effective as a tool for persuasion—and any stand-up comic who has ever seen off a heckler with a zinging one-liner knows this—is that laughter is involuntary assent.

From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith

Related Words

• dissident
• militant