harridan

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Definitions (4)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. noun A woman regarded as scolding and vicious.

Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (1)

Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (1)

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Examples

  • Lydia Hancock still looked like a sour old harridan, but to Matt, anyone who could cook like her deserved the benefit of the doubt. —  A Gift From Earth
  • But that only heightened PHAZE DOUBT I 113 the mystery: Purple could have sent anyone to watch Brown: a harridan or a cruel man or a machine. —  Phaze Doubt
  • Her majesty was harridan-haggard and exhausted, for each blow against the land was a blow against her. —  The Brothers' War
  • I recalled a harridan of satanic disposition old enough to have written the first drafts of most of her charges. —  Petty Pewter Gods
  • Harried by the ferocious little harridan, they were forced to postpone the coup de grace to deal with her first. —  The Chronicles of Riddick
 

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Harridan has been looked up 286 times, favorited 3 times, listed 58 times, and commented on twice.

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Etymologies (2)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Possibly from French haridelle, gaunt woman, old horse, nag.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (1)

  1. Origin uncertain; supposed by Skeat to be a variant of Old French aridelle, haridelle, a worn-out horse, a lean, ill-favored jade, F. a jade, a thin scraggy woman (cf. jade, similarly used); apparently diminutive from aride, dry, withered: see arid.
 

Pronunciations
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/ˈhærɪdən/
by American Heritage

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