termagant

[ tur-muh-guhnt ]

noun

1. a violent, turbulent, or brawling woman.

   Synonyms: scold, harridan, virago, shrew

2. (initial capital letter) a mythical deity popularly believed in the Middle Ages to be worshiped by the Muslims and introduced into the morality play as a violent, overbearing personage in long robes.

adjective

1. violent; turbulent; brawling; shrewish.

termagant

/ ˈtɜːməɡənt /

noun

1. 1. a shrewish woman; scold
   2. ( as modifier )

      a termagant woman

Derived Forms

• ˈtermagantly, adverb
• ˈtermagancy, noun

Other Words From

• terma·gant·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of termagant¹

1175–1225; Middle English Termagaunt, earlier Tervagaunt, alteration of Old French Tervagan name of the imaginary deity

Word History and Origins

Origin of termagant¹

C13: from earlier Tervagaunt, from Old French Tervagan, from Italian Trivigante; after an arrogant character in medieval mystery plays who was supposed to be a Muslim deity

Example Sentences

James Flexner went so far as to call her a "termagant."

From Washington Post

It was someone laying down the law — without worrying that a man would label her a virago or harridan or termagant.

From New York Times

Lorena wasn’t just any fury wronged by a man but a hot-blooded Latin termagant.

From Salon

In contrast, Trump in the White House, judging from both Woodward and the Times op-ed, is the same arrogant, ignorant and cruel termagant who displayed all his ugly impulses daily on television in 2016.

From The Guardian

Facebook Twitter Pinterest ‘A tough little termagant in a pantsuit’ … making a visit to Australia as US secretary of state in 2010.

From The Guardian

Related Words

• bitter
• chaotic
• fierce
• lawless
• quarrelsome
• raucous
• rough
• rowdy
• unruly
• violent