harridan
noun
har·ri·dan ˈher-ə-dən 
ˈha-rə-
: shrew sense 2
Synonyms
- battle-ax
- battle-axe
- dragon lady
- fury
- harpy
- shrew
- termagant
- virago
- vixen
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
the film portrays the figure skater's mother as a strict and controlling harridan
Recent Examples on the Web Allen’s account paints Mia Farrow as an abusive, baby-crazed harridan who beat and brainwashed her many children. 
Barbara Vandenburgh, USA TODAY, 25 Mar. 2020 Still, for a generation brought up to smile in the face of almost any affront or risk being tarred as a harridan, older women’s indignation seems ripe for reassessment. New York Times, 30 July 2019 Surely Socrates, married to that many-years-younger harridan Xanthippe, would be in line for a Nobel. Joseph Epstein, WSJ, 11 May 2018 Better yet, the pervasive myth that women become shriveled harridans after 30 couldn’t be further from the truth. Alana Massey, SELF, 19 Dec. 2017 The praise was largely glowing for Janney’s turn as Tonya Harding’s mother, LaVona Golden, a harridan with a sharp tongue and, at times, a parakeet on her shoulder. Richard Lawson, HWD, 15 Sep. 2017 As the dispossessed Queen Margaret, whose prophetic curses haunt the play, Ms. Redgrave is not the usual shrieking harridan but a bone-weary old woman, whose madness is steeped in a quiet, blisteringly bitter fatalism. Ben Brantley, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2016 Fricka, Wotan’s wife, sung with molten tone by Jamie Barton, isn’t the traditional harridan, but sober and wounded. Zachary Woolfe, New York Times, 2 June 2017 At Goodspeed, Kristine Zbornik, as Albert’s comic harridan of a smothering matriarch, just about stops the show with her rendition. Sylviane Gold, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2016 See More
Barbara Vandenburgh, USA TODAY, 25 Mar. 2020 Still, for a generation brought up to smile in the face of almost any affront or risk being tarred as a harridan, older women’s indignation seems ripe for reassessment. New York Times, 30 July 2019 Surely Socrates, married to that many-years-younger harridan Xanthippe, would be in line for a Nobel. Joseph Epstein, WSJ, 11 May 2018 Better yet, the pervasive myth that women become shriveled harridans after 30 couldn’t be further from the truth. Alana Massey, SELF, 19 Dec. 2017 The praise was largely glowing for Janney’s turn as Tonya Harding’s mother, LaVona Golden, a harridan with a sharp tongue and, at times, a parakeet on her shoulder. Richard Lawson, HWD, 15 Sep. 2017 As the dispossessed Queen Margaret, whose prophetic curses haunt the play, Ms. Redgrave is not the usual shrieking harridan but a bone-weary old woman, whose madness is steeped in a quiet, blisteringly bitter fatalism. Ben Brantley, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2016 Fricka, Wotan’s wife, sung with molten tone by Jamie Barton, isn’t the traditional harridan, but sober and wounded. Zachary Woolfe, New York Times, 2 June 2017 At Goodspeed, Kristine Zbornik, as Albert’s comic harridan of a smothering matriarch, just about stops the show with her rendition. Sylviane Gold, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2016 See More Word History
Etymology
perhaps modification of French haridelle old horse, gaunt woman
First Known Use
1678, in the meaning defined above
harridan
noun
as in shrew
a bad-tempered scolding woman the film portrays the figure skater's mother as a strict and controlling harridan Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- shrew
- termagant
- harpy
- virago
- vixen
- critic
- battle-axe
- fury
- battle-ax
- fishwife
- dragon lady
- gorgon
- scold
- nitpicker
- faultfinder
- carper
- detractor
- railer
- caviler
- censurer
- quibbler
- castigator
- derider
- caviller
- pettifogger
- belittler