HENPECKS Synonyms: 56 Similar and Opposite Words

henpecks

verb

present tense third-person singular of henpeck

as in pecks (at)

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 henpecks

Verb

This spring, Anthropic let the robot dogs out again, but this time, an improved Claude worked alone.

— Harry Booth, Time, 7 Aug. 2026
Canine transmissible venereal tumor, or CTVT, is a genital cancer that dogs pass to one another during mating.

— John Drake, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026

Definition of dogs

Verb

Lifelike Cat With a face full of fur and electric-green-colored contacts, this cat costume begs to be seen.

— Michella Oré, Glamour, 27 Oct. 2026
When Sita begs Rama to follow a demon disguised as a beautiful golden deer, Rama draws a magical protective circle around the princess and instructs her to stay within the circle’s borders.

— Sohini Sarah Pillai, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of begs

Verb

Gen might have gotten away scot-free from the sheets incident in terms of optics — no one questions her involvement, even though her job description includes housekeeping — but karma hounds her during the first day of the charter.

— Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 21 July 2026
Vavassori hounds the net with his teradactyl-like wingspan.

— Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025

Definition of hounds

Verb

The film was produced by the Zagha bothers for Avanti Pictures alongside Elsa Reyes and Películas V’s Valentín Javier Diment and Vanesa Pagani.

— Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 29 Oct. 2026
Television doesn’t lack for comedies that deliver biting satire and cogent commentary — that are, in fact, so committed to commentary that nobody bothers to even include jokes.

— Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of bothers

Verb

As Polly needles her daughter, Brooke — a liberal Long Island novelist, played by Rabe, whose upcoming memoir promises to surface painful family secrets — the barbs start to draw blood.

— Thomas Floyd, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026
McDaniel needles the other side of the ball too, James said, warning defenders to be ready for a deep pass before hitting them with a quick out.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026

Definition of needles

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

henpecking

henpecks

hen scratch

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Henpecks.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/henpecks. Accessed 11 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of henpecks

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

valorous

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

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

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Popular in Wordplay

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

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

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes