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
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Recent Examples of termagant
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
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
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For the study, researchers looked at 1,376 vertebrate species known to eat some amount of carrion, ranging from tiger sharks and spotted hyenas to cane toads and common shrews.—
Sarah Kuta,
Smithsonian Magazine,
18 June 2025
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The music hall performer Belle Elmore was dismissed by the press as a vulgar shrew.—
Jennifer Wright,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Termagant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/termagant. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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