noun
shrew
an insulting term for a woman who is bad-tempered and scolding
The old comedy unfairly portrays the outspoken wife as a shrew.
Etymology
The animal was formerly regarded as harmful or ill-tempered. Its name became an insult for a disagreeable person, later especially a scolding woman.
More examples
- He insulted her by calling her a shrew.
- The critic objected to the play's shrew stereotype.
- The word shrew is an insulting label for a scolding woman.
Forms
shrew · shrews