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Shrewish: meaning, definitions and examples

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shrewish

 

[ หˆสƒruห.ษชสƒ ]

Adjective
Context #1 | Adjective

behavior description

Shrewish describes a person, typically a woman, who is ill-tempered, cranky, or nagging. It implies aggressive behavior often associated with excessive harshness or scolding. This term can reflect a negative stereotype and is generally used derogatorily.

Synonyms

acrimonious, cantankerous, irritable, nagging, testy

Examples of usage

  • The shrewish woman at the office constantly complains about everything.
  • Her shrewish remarks made it hard for anyone to enjoy the gathering.
  • He described her as shrewish when she scolded him for being late.

Translations

Translations of the word "shrewish" in other languages:

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡น ranzinza

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ เคเค—เคกเคผเฅ‡ เคตเคพเคฒเคพ

๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช zรคnkisch

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฉ pemarah

๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ะดะพัะฐะดะปะธะฒะธะน

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ฑ kล‚รณtliwy

๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต ๅฐ่จ€ใ‚’่จ€ใ†

๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท chicaneur

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ malhumorado

๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ท huysuz

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท ์ž”์†Œ๋ฆฌํ•˜๋Š”

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ู…ุฌุงุฏู„

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฟ hรกdavรฝ

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฐ hรกdkovรฝ

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ ็ˆฑๅ‘่„พๆฐ”็š„

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฎ prepirljiv

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ธ deilugur

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ฟ ะถะฐะฝะถะฐะปะดะฐัะฐั‚ั‹ะฝ

๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ช แƒจแƒ”แƒฌแƒฃแƒฎแƒ”แƒ‘แƒฃแƒšแƒ˜

๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ฟ mรผbahisษ™li

๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฝ quejumbroso

Etymology

The term 'shrewish' has its origins in Middle English, with 'shrew' deriving from the Old English word 'screawa', which referred to a creature that was unpleasant or ill-natured. Over time, the term evolved to describe women who exhibited similar negative traits. In medieval literature, shrews were often depicted as witches or women who were difficult and unyielding. This association further cemented the derogatory nature of the term, linking it to notions of femininity that emphasize temperamental and nagging behavior. The evolution reflects societal attitudes towards women and has contributed to the pejorative usage of 'shrewish' in contemporary language.

Word Frequency Rank

Ranking #36,459, this word is encountered relatively rarely in everyday English. It might appear in literary works or specialized texts but isn't essential for general communication.