1
as in shrew
a bad-tempered scolding woman
in fairy tales stepmothers are often portrayed as harpies who make the lives of their stepchildren miserable
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in predator
a person who habitually preys upon others
having just started to make it really big in the music business, he found himself surrounded by a flock of harpies greedy for a piece of the action
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of harpy
Others portrayed her as a harpy, a notoriously disagreeable mythical beast that was half bird-of-prey, half woman.
—
The Economist, 9 Nov. 2019
The clergy and royal courts in days of yore used images of griffins, hellmouths, harpies, dragons and sea swine to instill fear, to divide anxious populations, to assert dominance and control, and to ostracize non-Europeans.
—Steven Litt, cleveland.com, 1 Sep. 2019
Elizabeth Moss, as Claire, has based her career playing sad-sacks and harpies, in Mad Men, The Square, The Handmaid’s Tale, and Her Smell; so Moss is a comic actress by default.
—Armond White, National Review, 9 Aug. 2019
Those kinds of sentiments have multiplied on social media, which has exploded with memes in recent days calling the four everything from terrorists to harpies to cancer.
—Jeremy W. Peters, New York Times, 27 July 2019
See All Example Sentences for harpy
The Economist, 9 Nov. 2019
The clergy and royal courts in days of yore used images of griffins, hellmouths, harpies, dragons and sea swine to instill fear, to divide anxious populations, to assert dominance and control, and to ostracize non-Europeans.
—Steven Litt, cleveland.com, 1 Sep. 2019
Elizabeth Moss, as Claire, has based her career playing sad-sacks and harpies, in Mad Men, The Square, The Handmaid’s Tale, and Her Smell; so Moss is a comic actress by default.
—Armond White, National Review, 9 Aug. 2019
Those kinds of sentiments have multiplied on social media, which has exploded with memes in recent days calling the four everything from terrorists to harpies to cancer.
—Jeremy W. Peters, New York Times, 27 July 2019
See All Example Sentences for harpy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harpy
Noun
-
She was indicted in the first Trump administration, and undoubtedly would have been convicted, just as the shrew judge in Milwaukee was last week for doing the exact same thing.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
24 Dec. 2025
-
The godfather-like arctic shrew Mr. Big is back, as is Flash, the sloth, both ready to help at just the right moment.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
25 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The predator was eventually driven off by a ski instructor waving his poles.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
This weakening of the teeth of the apex predators could affect the broader marine ecosystem, too.—
Justin Klawans,
TheWeek,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Early slayers often originate between realms—people who have been near death and pulled back, or have the markings of potential vampires, or who are born at times of the year when the veil between worlds is thin.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
-
His initial rise to fame came from playing cunning and ruthless centuries-old vampire Eric Northman on True Blood.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Dozens of dead vultures found in Amelia likely have bird flu, officials said.—
Matthew Cupelli,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
5 Dec. 2025
-
The location is a culture vulture’s dream — situated just yards from the San Jose Museum of Art and events at the Circle of Palms and Cesar Chavez Plaza.—
Linda Zavoral,
Mercury News,
1 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Harpy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harpy. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
