shrew

play

noun \ ˈshrü , especially Southern ˈsrü \

Definition of shrew

1 :any of a family (Soricidae) of small chiefly nocturnal insectivores related to the moles and distinguished by a long pointed snout, very small eyes, and short velvety fur

2 :an ill-tempered scolding woman

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shrewlike

play \ˈshrü-ˌlīk\ adjective

See shrew defined for English-language learners

See shrew defined for kids

Examples of shrew in a Sentence

Rip Van Winkle went off into the mountains to escape his wife, a shrew who made his life miserable.

Recent Examples of shrew from the Web

In a patriarchal society already set up to discriminate against women, those who go above and beyond to promote men's rights often paint women as calculating shrews looking to get one over on their male counterparts.

— kaitlin menza, SELF, "Betsy DeVos’ Campus Rape Talks With Men’s Rights Groups Are a Travesty," 14 July 2017
But what about the Nimba otter shrew, the Cuban greater funnel-eared bat or other threatened yet obscure species?

— Smithsonian, "When it Comes to Conservation, Are Ugly Animals a Lost Cause?," 28 June 2017
How well many of us know the plight of Sen Kamala H. Assertive women are hysterical shrews.

— patrick may, The Mercury News, "The “hysterical” junior senator from California? Kamala Harris sets off more fireworks in DC," 14 June 2017
There is the workaholic, the drunkard, the shrew, all with some redeeming qualities, but only just enough to be sympathetic.

— heather grevatt, idahostatesman, "Idaho author probes nature of heroes in debut novel," 2 June 2017
The Cuban solenodon, a nocturnal, football-sized mammal that resembles a chunky shrew, has an abundance of peculiar qualities.

— michelle nijhuis, The New Yorker, "Conservationists Could Be Saving More Biodiversity in Less Space," 24 May 2017
Then, THE TAMING OF THE SHREW, is May 6 – two shows only, 2 pm and 8 pm, to be performed at Weatherford Heritage Park Amphitheatre.

— star-telegram, star-telegram.com, "Lots happening at Theatre Off The Square," 2 May 2017
The cast of the show includes Kate (the shrew), played by Amanda Stevens.

— rick mauch, star-telegram.com, "Festival to celebrate Shakespeare at new amphitheater," 2 May 2017
Northern tree shrews are native to southeast Asia and usually inhabit tropical rainforests.

— ken palmer, Detroit Free Press, "Northern tree shrews: Tame? Nope. Cute? Definitely," 28 Apr. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'shrew.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.