shrewish
Given to quarreling
Shrewish describes a woman who is bad-tempered, nagging, or quarrelsome: his shrewish wife, a shrewish tone.
The word derives from shrew in its archaic sense of a scolding woman, famously depicted in Shakespeare's *The Taming of the Shrew*.
The term is dated and sexist, applying a gendered insult that has no real male equivalent.
Harsh, quarrelsome woman
- scoldRebuke harshly
- harridanIll-tempered older woman
- viragoIll-tempered, domineering woman
- battleaxeHeavy bladed war weapon
fishwife · harpy · nag · vixen · crone · archetype · caricature · trope
Persistent bothering or complaining
- scoldingHarsh verbal criticism
- henpeckingPersistent domestic criticism
- carpingTrivial persistent criticism
- faultfindingSeeking out imperfections
badgering · pestering · harassing · complaining · criticizing · quarrelsome · bickering · berating
termagant
Harsh, quarrelsome woman
battleaxe · fishwife · harpy · nag · vixen · crone · archetype · caricature · trope · cliché
nagging
Persistent bothering or complaining
- scoldingHarsh verbal criticism
- henpeckingPersistent domestic criticism
- carpingTrivial persistent criticism
faultfinding · badgering · pestering · harassing · complaining · criticizing · quarrelsome · bickering · berating · haranguing
ill-tempered
Habitually cross or surly
- irritableEasily provoked to annoyance
- cantankerousBad-tempered and argumentative
- petulantChildishly bad-tempered
peevish · testy · cranky · grumpy · irascible · snappish · cross · tetchy · choleric · splenetic
sharp-tongued
Given to cutting remarks
cutting · vitriolic · tart · scathing · acid · harsh · acrimonious · venomous · sardonic · stinging
shrewishgood-natured
Having a friendly temperament
sweet-tempered · placid · genial · even-tempered · easygoing
shrewishaffectionate
Showing warm regard
supportive · loving · peaceable · nurturing · kind