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
A total heel move
Last Updated: December 9, 2020
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.