harpy
Grasping, vicious woman
A harpy is a grasping, unpleasant woman—shrewish, predatory, or relentlessly nagging.
The word comes from Greek mythology, where Harpies were winged creatures with women's faces who snatched food and souls.
The mythological sense survives in fantasy literature, but the insult is the common use: His ex-wife was a harpy who never let him see the kids.
Hooked bird claws
- clawsAnimal gripping nails
- wingsLimbs for flight
- feathersBird's lightweight covering
- wingspanTip-to-tip extent
beak · screeching · swooping · predatory · monstrous · grotesque · fearsome · hybrid
Hunting bird with talons
- rainforestWet tropical woodland ecosystem
- tropicalOf hot, humid regions
- apexUppermost point or culmination
- predatorOrganism that consumes others
powerful · crested · Amazon · Philippines · endangered · majestic · formidable · talons
Penalty for an offense
- tormentSevere prolonged suffering
- persecutionSystematic mistreatment of groups
- retributionPunishment for wrongdoing
- divineOf or from gods
justice · agents · instrument · wrath · relentless · merciless · pitiless · inescapable
Ill-tempered woman, or insectivore
- harridanIll-tempered older woman
- termagantHarsh, quarrelsome woman
- viragoIll-tempered, domineering woman
- scoldRebuke harshly
nag · battle-axe · fishwife · vixen · henpeck · shrewish · ill-tempered · quarrelsome
Excessively grasping or greedy
- graspingGreedy for wealth
- greedyExcessively wanting more
- voraciousExtremely eager to consume
- snatchingSeizing quickly, abruptly
plundering · seizing · pilfering · thieving · avaricious · covetous · acquisitive · ravenous
talons
Hooked bird claws
wingspan · beak · screeching · swooping · predatory · monstrous · grotesque · fearsome · hybrid · winged
raptor
Hunting bird with talons
- rainforestWet tropical woodland ecosystem
- tropicalOf hot, humid regions
- apexUppermost point or culmination
predator · powerful · crested · Amazon · Philippines · endangered · majestic · formidable · talons · hunting
punishment
Penalty for an offense
- tormentSevere prolonged suffering
- persecutionSystematic mistreatment of groups
- retributionPunishment for wrongdoing
divine · justice · agents · instrument · wrath · relentless · merciless · pitiless · inescapable · pursuit
shrew
Ill-tempered woman, or insectivore
- harridanIll-tempered older woman
- termagantHarsh, quarrelsome woman
- viragoIll-tempered, domineering woman
scold · nag · battle-axe · fishwife · vixen · henpeck · shrewish · ill-tempered · quarrelsome · nagging
rapacious
Excessively grasping or greedy
snatching · plundering · seizing · pilfering · thieving · avaricious · covetous · acquisitive · ravenous · insatiable
Greek
Of Athenian origin
Homer · Odyssey · Aeneid · Virgil · Dante · Furies · Erinyes · winged · snatchers · tormentors
- mythologyZeus, Apollo, Athena, Poseidon, Odin
- bestiary creaturesdragon, mermaid, unicorn, phoenix, centaur
- Classical MythologyZeus, Apollo, Venus, Athena, Aphrodite
- Greek mythologyZeus, Athena, Apollo, Hera, Poseidon
- mythical creaturesdragon, dragons, vampire, vampires, werewolf
- Mythological WordsAchilles heel, Adonis, aegis, ambrosia, Apollo
harpysiren
Wailing alert device
muse · nymph · angel · fairy · guardian spirit
harpyangel
Divine winged messenger
sweetheart · saint · darling · peacemaker · nurturer
- harpy eagleGiant crested neotropical raptor