termagant
noun
ter·ma·gant
ˈtər-mə-gənt 
1
Termagant
: 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
Examples of termagant in a Sentence
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
Rather than returning to a patient Penelope, Rip has fled the termagant Dame Van Winkle.
—
John Swansburg, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2025
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
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John Swansburg, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2025
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
Cite this Entry
“Termagant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/termagant. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
termagant
1 of 2 noun
ter·ma·gant
ˈtər-mə-gənt
: a nagging woman
termagant
2 of 2 adjective
: noisily nagging
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