as in shrew
a bad-tempered scolding woman
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 termagant
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for termagant
shrew
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
-
She was indicted in the first Trump administration, and undoubtedly would have been convicted, just as the shrew judge in Milwaukee was last week for doing the exact same thing.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
24 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Termagant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/termagant. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
