1
as in shrew
a bad-tempered scolding woman
in fairy tales stepmothers are often portrayed as harpies who make the lives of their stepchildren miserable
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2
as in predator
a person who habitually preys upon others
having just started to make it really big in the music business, he found himself surrounded by a flock of harpies greedy for a piece of the action
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Recent Examples of harpy
The clergy and royal courts in days of yore used images of griffins, hellmouths, harpies, dragons and sea swine to instill fear, to divide anxious populations, to assert dominance and control, and to ostracize non-Europeans.
—
Steven Litt, cleveland.com, 1 Sep. 2019
Elizabeth Moss, as Claire, has based her career playing sad-sacks and harpies, in Mad Men, The Square, The Handmaid’s Tale, and Her Smell; so Moss is a comic actress by default.
—Armond White, National Review, 9 Aug. 2019
There are fairies and nymphs, unicorns, harpies, giants, ogres, trolls, Gollums and dragons.
—Patti Restivo, baltimoresun.com, 14 June 2019
But maybe these women aren’t evil vixens or cold-hearted harpies.
—Andrea Bartz, Marie Claire, 25 Feb. 2019
See All Example Sentences for harpy
Steven Litt, cleveland.com, 1 Sep. 2019
Elizabeth Moss, as Claire, has based her career playing sad-sacks and harpies, in Mad Men, The Square, The Handmaid’s Tale, and Her Smell; so Moss is a comic actress by default.
—Armond White, National Review, 9 Aug. 2019
There are fairies and nymphs, unicorns, harpies, giants, ogres, trolls, Gollums and dragons.
—Patti Restivo, baltimoresun.com, 14 June 2019
But maybe these women aren’t evil vixens or cold-hearted harpies.
—Andrea Bartz, Marie Claire, 25 Feb. 2019
See All Example Sentences for harpy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harpy
Noun
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According to the Lincoln Park Zoo, northern tree shrews are most closely related to primates and have no relation to actual shrews other than a coincidental resemblance to them.—
Rhiannon Saegert,
Miami Herald,
20 Feb. 2025
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Here’s looking at shrew: How college students got first-ever photos of an elusive California mammal.—
Kevinisha Walker,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The recipient of the explicit photos was actually a predator who was blackmailing him, threatening to release the images to his family and friends.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA TODAY,
21 Mar. 2025
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The app has a private messaging feature that can lead to inappropriate conversations with predators.—
Hannah Nwoko,
Parents,
21 Mar. 2025
Noun
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When Posey is dropped into the mainstream, her most intriguing qualities are often cast as lightly villainous: girlboss vampire, dog-lady henchman.—
Julia Whelan Emma Kehlbeck Joel Thibodeau,
New York Times,
24 Feb. 2025
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As a result, the sun is blocked out, and humans become pitted against vampires.—
Mike Fleming Jr,
Deadline,
27 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Intelligencer The Cut Vulture The Strategist Curbed Grub Street vulture games Mar. 18, 2025 A new Cinematrix drops every morning.—
Britina Cheng,
Vulture,
18 Mar. 2025
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Managers and financial advisors preying on top-tier prospects like vultures.—
Daniel Libit,
Sportico.com,
13 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Harpy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harpy. Accessed 27 Mar. 2025.
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