1
as in shrews
a bad-tempered scolding woman
in fairy tales stepmothers are often portrayed as harpies who make the lives of their stepchildren miserable
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in predators
a person who habitually preys upon others
having just started to make it really big in the music business, he found himself surrounded by a flock of harpies greedy for a piece of the action
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of harpies
In the right-wing imagination, these women are acting like harpies — an epithet often seen online — when they’re supposed to be helpmeets.
—
Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 20 Jan. 2026
Think a front desk hewn from Dionysos marble and sconces in the shape of harpies.
—Sam Cochran, Architectural Digest, 11 Aug. 2025
Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 20 Jan. 2026
Think a front desk hewn from Dionysos marble and sconces in the shape of harpies.
—Sam Cochran, Architectural Digest, 11 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harpies
Noun
-
The tiny bodies of weasels, shrews and bats burn energy so fast that skipping even one meal can mean starvation.—
Leonie Baier,
The Conversation,
27 Feb. 2026
-
In animal studies, TDN helped obese mice and musk shrews lose weight and become more responsive to insulin.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
At a legislative hearing called to address escalating concerns about wild predators, including coyotes, Wade Crowfoot, the state’s top environmental officer, called the situation a crisis.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
8 Apr. 2026
-
The Eastern Colorado prairie was once carpeted with a mix of hardy grasses, flowering plants, and small shrubs that supported great herds of bison and pronghorn, abundant prairie dog colonies, predators like coyotes, foxes, and badgers, as well as numerous bird species, reptiles, and insects.—
Krista Kafer,
Denver Post,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
While Hollywood vampires—especially those in the Twilight series—have a devoted fan base, real-life bloodsuckers aren’t so adored.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Vanessa Van Helsing wakes up from a coma to discover that a volcanic eruption has blotted out the sun, letting vampires prey 24/7.—
K. Thor Jensen,
PC Magazine,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The Yurok Tribe is leading the effort to bring the large, endangered vultures back to their historic homeland in Humboldt and Del Norte counties.—
Lila Seidman,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
-
To show their enduring affection, mated pairs of vultures synchronize their flight patterns, touch their beaks together in what looks like a kiss and entwine their long necks.—
K. R. Callaway,
Scientific American,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Harpies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harpies. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
