henpecking

verb

present participle of henpeck
as in nagging
to subject (someone) to constant scoldings and sharp reminders my doctor henpecked me into adopting a healthier lifestyle

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for henpecking
  1. nagging
  2. hounding
  3. begging
  4. dogging
  5. urging
  6. needling
  7. bothering
  8. badgering
Verb
  • The stagnancy is nagging, as is the choice to supplant Kat as Season 2’s primary villain in favor of Frankie, a stopgap baddie played by Johnny Flynn.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 17 Sep. 2026
  • The gargantuan nose tackle slid down the 2025 draft chutes over a nagging back problem the University of Kentucky declined to shut down.
    — Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of nagging
Verb
  • Though some accusations seem to hold water, the headline is his hounding in context.
    — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2026
  • McDonnell’s personal circle was also hounding her for repayment.
    — Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of hounding
Verb
  • The Sarti Spritz has built a devoted following from Americans visiting Europe over the past few years, posting the bubbly concoction on TikTok and begging the company to bring it stateside.
    — Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Behind the scenes, Meta is having some of these calls being handled by humans in call centers, 404 Media reports, despite employees practically begging the company not to go through with the charade.
    — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of begging
Verb
  • Despite relatively robust job growth and low inflation over Lula’s third term, the cost of living has been a central campaign issue dogging the president.
    — Andre Pagliarini, The Conversation, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Investors have been ratcheting up their expectations for the industry as some companies hike their outlooks and get a better handle on rising medical costs in those plans – an issue that has been dogging the broader sector for more than two years.
    — Annika Kim Constantino, CNBC, 29 July 2026
Definition of dogging
Verb
  • Bryan pushed back at the time, arguing that the song spoke to both sides of the aisle and urging fans not to let social media narratives divide them.
    — Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Two young women sit on a bed, with an LGBTQ+ flag in the background, with one urging the other to try a new experience.
    — Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of urging
Verb
  • Like families since time immemorial, the Hollingsworths are prone to needling each other about their love lives or grousing about their parents.
    — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Freedom thought Cloud went low, needling him with accusations of trying to win Cunningham’s affection.
    — Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of needling
Verb
  • The goal is not to solve what’s bothering you but to let the thoughts move through.
    — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Lane Kiffin will stroll off the LSU bus later this afternoon, acting as if none of the noise is bothering him.
    — Trey Wallace OutKick, FOXNews.com, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of bothering
Verb
  • Reddington had to talk around this impasse, badgering Clancy’s providers about matters such as their use of telemedicine, as though this wasn’t standard practice.
    — Eren Orbey, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026
  • O'Hara said years later, children were still badgering her about her forgetfulness.
    — Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of badgering
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.

Browse Nearby Words

henpecked
henpecking
henpecks
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Henpecking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/henpecking. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
name tags
Words Named After People Quiz Find out who’s behind "leotard," "morphine," an...
See All