harridans
Ill-tempered old women
Harridans is the plural of harridan, a sharp-tongued, ill-tempered woman, especially an older one.
The word carries a dated, literary quality and appears most often in period fiction or deliberately old-fashioned insults: The old harridans on the committee blocked every proposal.
It implies someone bossy, nagging, and unpleasant.
Ill-tempered woman, or insectivore
- termagantHarsh, quarrelsome woman
- viragoIll-tempered, domineering woman
- vixenFemale of Reynard's kind
- fishwifeLoud, scolding woman
battle-ax · nag · scold · hellcat · dragon · fury · tartar · beldam
Harsh verbal criticism
- beratingHarsh verbal criticism
- naggingPersistent bothering or complaining
- haranguingAggressively criticizing at length
- shrewishIll-tempered and nagging
hectoring · browbeating · tongue-lashing · ranting · railing · carping · fault-finding · nitpicking
Unpleasantly severe or rough
- causticChemically burning; bitterly mocking
- abrasiveRough enough to erode
- bitterSharp, unpleasant taste
- cruelWillfully causing suffering
sharp-tongued · venomous · vitriolic · acerbic · cutting · biting · acrimonious · cantankerous
shrew
Ill-tempered woman, or insectivore
fishwife · battle-ax · nag · scold · hellcat · dragon · fury · tartar · beldam · crone
scolding
Harsh verbal criticism
- beratingHarsh verbal criticism
- naggingPersistent bothering or complaining
- haranguingAggressively criticizing at length
shrewish · hectoring · browbeating · tongue-lashing · ranting · railing · carping · fault-finding · nitpicking · badgering
harsh
Unpleasantly severe or rough
- causticChemically burning; bitterly mocking
- abrasiveRough enough to erode
- bitterSharp, unpleasant taste
cruel · sharp-tongued · venomous · vitriolic · acerbic · cutting · biting · acrimonious · cantankerous · ill-tempered
harridanstreasures
Prized possessions or valuables
gentlewomen · pillars of the community · wise women · fairy godmothers