shrew

noun \ ˈshrü , especially Southern ˈsrü \

Updated on: 11 Apr 2018

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

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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

Shakespeare's preface framing the shrew-taming comedy as a play within a play is reconceived by Freed.

— charles mcnulty, latimes.com, "South Coast Rep's 'Shrew!' trips along the rutted road of Shakespearean updates," 2 Apr. 2018
No one likes to get dumped, but Sarah is no shrew, and certainly not a villain.

— tom philip, GQ, "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," 11 Mar. 2018
The surrounding players are exaggerated, one-note caricatures; Barrie’s wife is a superficial shrew, her lover is a fop, the grandmother is stern and matronly, the promoter has a perpetual glint in his eye and the actors are campy.

— mike fischer, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Circus scene is the highlight of a bland 'Neverland'," 21 Feb. 2018
As new vegetation takes root, deer mice, voles, shrews, and chipmunks move in for the harvest.

— brian payton, Smithsonian, "How Driftwood Reshapes Ecosystems," 9 Feb. 2018
Those interred separately, however, had religious significance, and no creature was considered too small: The show, running through Jan. 21, includes mummified scarab beetles, associated with creation mythology, and even tiny shrews.

— laurel graeber, New York Times, "Ancient Egyptian Animals Had a Place in the Afterlife. Here’s Why.," 1 Oct. 2017
In Kenya, the parasite turned up in a shrew, suggesting rodents may also act as hosts in Florida.

— jenny staletovich, miamiherald, "Florida’s latest python problem: They may spread disease to other snakes, study shows," 21 Dec. 2017
Now, a new study heaps a little more shrew weirdness.

— jason daley, Smithsonian, "Shrews Shrink Their Skulls and Brains for the Winter," 25 Oct. 2017
Overall, the shrews in the study reduced their body mass by about 18 percent from July to February.

— douglas quenqua, New York Times, "As Winter Sets In, Tiny Shrews Shrink Their Skulls and Brains," 23 Oct. 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.