harridan

noun

har·​ri·​dan ˈher-ə-dən How to pronounce harridan (audio)
ˈha-rə-

Examples of harridan in a Sentence

the film portrays the figure skater's mother as a strict and controlling harridan
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
And Day, with a face of expressive misery and the energy of an imploding firecracker, portrays her as a shrewd fusion of harridan and victim. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 16 Aug. 2024 The subtext throughout is that Tendler is a harridan, a domineering scold. Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 16 Aug. 2024 He was still steeled, still prepared for some harridan. Graham Swift, The Atlantic, 3 Aug. 2024 Richard Millet became a kind of referendum on what wasn’t yet termed cancel culture, with Ernaux denounced as a harridan intent on enforcing politically correct censorship at the expense of a man’s career. Alexandra Schwartz, The New Yorker, 14 Nov. 2022 Throughout her tenure as House speaker, Pelosi has been painted by Trump supporters as an unhinged harridan: crazy, conniving and hungry for power. Monica Hesse, Washington Post, 14 Oct. 2022 Allen’s account paints Mia Farrow as an abusive, baby-crazed harridan who beat and brainwashed her many children. Barbara Vandenburgh, USA TODAY, 25 Mar. 2020 Still, for a generation brought up to smile in the face of almost any affront or risk being tarred as a harridan, older women’s indignation seems ripe for reassessment. New York Times, 30 July 2019 Surely Socrates, married to that many-years-younger harridan Xanthippe, would be in line for a Nobel. Joseph Epstein, WSJ, 11 May 2018

Word History

Etymology

perhaps modification of French haridelle old horse, gaunt woman

First Known Use

1678, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of harridan was in 1678

Dictionary Entries Near harridan

Cite this Entry

“Harridan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/harridan. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!