termagant

1 of 2

noun

ter·​ma·​gant ˈtər-mə-gənt 

1

capitalized : a deity erroneously ascribed to Islam by medieval European Christians and represented in early English drama as a violent character

2

: an overbearing or nagging woman : shrew

termagant

2 of 2

adjective

: overbearing, shrewish

Synonyms

Noun

• shrew

Examples of termagant in a Sentence

Noun

when she finally met her grandmother, she couldn't believe the sweet old lady was the same woman she'd heard all her life described as a termagant

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

But the film belongs to Moreno, clearly relishing the chance to play an unapologetic termagant. —David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2022

Rita may be a bossy termagant, but her adoring Beppe appears to love being whacked around from time to time, so what’s the harm? —John Von Rhein, chicagotribune.com, 15 Apr. 2018

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1546, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

termagant

1 of 2 noun

ter·​ma·​gant ˈtər-mə-gənt 

: a nagging woman

termagant

2 of 2 adjective

: noisily nagging