Heel
What does heel mean in pro wrestling?
Villain
Example
"I enjoyed The Rock best when he was a heel."
A total heel move
Related Slang
Usage
Last Updated: December 9, 2020
Heel definition
This page explains what the slang term "Heel" means. The definition, example, and related terms listed above have been written and compiled by the Slangit team.
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In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain. Heel wrestlers are portrayed as immoral, dishonest, and sometimes even psychotic characters, who are typically opposed by a face.
Because professional wrestling is as much a soap opera as a sport, wrestlers are required to portray larger-than-life characters. Typically, wrestlers act as either a face (a wrestler an audience is supposed to love) or a heel (a wrestler an audience is supposed to love to hate). Whether they're a face or a heel, each wrestler is attempting to get over with audiences, securing their spot in pro wrestling's overarching narrative.
Many wrestlers alternate between being a face or a heel at various points throughout their careers. For example, The Big Show, who has been wrestling for 25 years, turns face or heel roughly 1.5 times per year.