shrewishness
Bad-tempered wife stereotype
Shrewishness is the quality of being ill-tempered, nagging, or quarrelsome—traits historically attributed to difficult wives.
The word carries old-fashioned sexist baggage, evoking Shakespeare's shrew who needed taming: Her shrewishness drove him from the house.
The term is rarely used today without irony or historical reference.
Given to cutting remarks
- causticChemically burning; bitterly mocking
- cuttingDividing via sharp edge
- scathingSeverely and bitingly critical
- vitriolicHarshly bitter and corrosive
acerbic · biting · acrimonious · barbed · stinging · mordant · harsh · abrasive
Easily provoked to annoyance
- cantankerousBad-tempered and argumentative
- peevishHabitually fretful
- petulantChildishly bad-tempered
- crankyIll-tempered and peevish
testy · grumpy · sullen · surly · choleric · irascible · splenetic · tetchy
Persistent domestic criticism
- scoldingHarsh verbal criticism
- carpingTrivial persistent criticism
- complainingExpressing discontent verbally
- faultfindingSeeking out imperfections
haranguing · bickering · nitpicking · berating · badgering · pestering · grumbling · criticizing
Inclined to dispute
- contentiousInclined toward disagreement
- belligerentHostile and eager to clash
- antagonisticActively opposed or hostile
- combativeInclined toward conflict
pugnacious · hostile · argumentative · confrontational · disputatious · truculent · aggressive · volatile
sharp-tongued
Given to cutting remarks
- causticChemically burning; bitterly mocking
- cuttingDividing via sharp edge
- scathingSeverely and bitingly critical
vitriolic · acerbic · biting · acrimonious · barbed · stinging · mordant · harsh · abrasive · tongue-lashing
irritable
Easily provoked to annoyance
- cantankerousBad-tempered and argumentative
- peevishHabitually fretful
- petulantChildishly bad-tempered
cranky · testy · grumpy · sullen · surly · choleric · irascible · splenetic · tetchy · fretful
henpecking
Persistent domestic criticism
- scoldingHarsh verbal criticism
- carpingTrivial persistent criticism
- complainingExpressing discontent verbally
faultfinding · haranguing · bickering · nitpicking · berating · badgering · pestering · grumbling · criticizing · quibbling
quarrelsome
Inclined to dispute
- contentiousInclined toward disagreement
- belligerentHostile and eager to clash
- antagonisticActively opposed or hostile
combative · pugnacious · hostile · argumentative · confrontational · disputatious · truculent · aggressive · volatile · tempestuous
shrewishnessgraciousness
Courteous, kind demeanor
agreeableness · pleasantness · warmth · affability · cordiality