henpecked; henpecking; henpecks
: to subject (one's spouse or partner) to persistent nagging and domination
Examples of henpeck in a Sentence
my doctor henpecked me into adopting a healthier lifestyle
Recent Examples on the Web
Laurent Naouri was gravelly but properly pathetic as Cendrillon’s henpecked father; Ying Fang and Maya Lahyani carried off the goofy stepsisters with aplomb.
—
Heidi Waleson, WSJ, 23 Apr. 2018
He eventually is seduced by the queen, takes her as his czarina and is literally henpecked.
—John Von Rhein, chicagotribune.com, 8 Aug. 2017
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.
Heidi Waleson, WSJ, 23 Apr. 2018
He eventually is seduced by the queen, takes her as his czarina and is literally henpecked.
—John Von Rhein, chicagotribune.com, 8 Aug. 2017
Cite this Entry
“Henpeck.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/henpeck. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
henpeck
verb
hen·peck
ˈhen-ˌpek 
: to nag and boss one's spouse
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share