1
as in shrew
a bad-tempered scolding woman
in fairy tales stepmothers are often portrayed as harpies who make the lives of their stepchildren miserable
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2
as in predator
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
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Recent Examples of harpy
Think a front desk hewn from Dionysos marble and sconces in the shape of harpies.
—
Sam Cochran, Architectural Digest, 11 Aug. 2025
For those guys, mothers are either harpies or sirens—villains or traps.
—Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 2 May 2024
This is her name for the seventh circle of hell from Dante’s Inferno, where the souls of those who’ve committed suicide become trees, and harpies peck at them for all eternity.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 21 Nov. 2023
Karen is, of course, the generic name for the ubiquitous American harpy who, through the long summer of 2020, pitched fits about masks and sometimes about race, in public spaces.
—Virginia Heffernan, Wired, 18 Aug. 2020
See All Example Sentences for harpy
Sam Cochran, Architectural Digest, 11 Aug. 2025
For those guys, mothers are either harpies or sirens—villains or traps.
—Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 2 May 2024
This is her name for the seventh circle of hell from Dante’s Inferno, where the souls of those who’ve committed suicide become trees, and harpies peck at them for all eternity.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 21 Nov. 2023
Karen is, of course, the generic name for the ubiquitous American harpy who, through the long summer of 2020, pitched fits about masks and sometimes about race, in public spaces.
—Virginia Heffernan, Wired, 18 Aug. 2020
See All Example Sentences for harpy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harpy
Noun
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These are important tools used for both feeding and building their dens and digging for other menu items such as mice, gophers, voles and shrews.—
Ernie Cowan,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 June 2026
-
See page 8 to order a shrew for $29, plus shipping and handling.—
Jeff Wilson,
Outdoor Life,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
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From Cold War legends to modern battlefield predators, these are seven of the deadliest helicopters ever used by military forces around the world.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
8 June 2026
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There are also predators of all kinds in the industry.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
8 June 2026
Noun
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The fight makes its way to the penthouse, exposing Lestat as a real live vampire to his bandmates, who, up until now, thought the vampire thing was an elaborate bit.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
8 June 2026
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Who knew vampires made such a good metaphor for America’s worst excesses?—
Jessica Gelt,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
Noun
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The cougar would have done a good job of stripping off the main parts, then vultures and smaller animals would have cleaned up the leftovers.—
Joan Morris,
Mercury News,
1 June 2026
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Ratio relievers *Multi-inning or bridge relievers who can vulture wins and help protect ratios.—
Greg Jewett,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Harpy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harpy. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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