What does shrewish mean?
Shrewish is an old-fashioned adjective for a person who is irritable, sharply abusive, or prone to angry outbursts. Its definition has traditionally carried a gender association, especially with women, so modern speakers may regard it as outdated or disparaging unless they are using it for literary effect. The word can describe a person’s temper, voice, manner, or remarks: a person may make a shrewish remark or respond with a shrewish tone. Although once relatively common in descriptions of difficult or malicious women, it now belongs mainly to formal, historical, or deliberately stylized English. In contemporary writing, clearer and more neutral alternatives such as irritable, bad-tempered, cantankerous, or hostile are often more suitable, depending on how strongly the speaker wishes to characterize the behavior.
adjectiveShrewish means ill-tempered, sharply abusive, or given to angry outbursts, especially in a way traditionally associated with a disagreeable or overbearing woman. The word is now mainly literary or historical and sounds old-fashioned.
- Ill-tempered, irritable, and sharply abusive, especially in a manner associated with an overbearing or disagreeable person.
"Her shrewish reply silenced the entire room."
"The shrewish customer demanded to speak with the manager."
"Her shrewish tone made the negotiation even more difficult."
Once a common label for a difficult woman, “shrewish” has aged into a distinctly literary warning label for anyone with a fierce temper.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does shrewish come from?
Shrewish was formed in the early 17th century from shrew and the suffix -ish. The word shrew had long been used figuratively for a person regarded as malicious, deceitful, or ill-tempered, especially a woman, in addition to its zoological sense for a small insect-eating mammal. The adjective inherited this older, hostile sense and is now chiefly literary or archaic.
Related word forms
How shrewish is actually used
The term is literary, archaic, and now somewhat disparaging when applied to a woman. It can sound theatrical or deliberately old-fashioned in modern use.
Easily confused with shrewish
Shrewish means ill-tempered or abusive, whereas shrewd means clever, astute, and practical.
Shrewish is an adjective describing sharp or bad temper, while shrew can name a small insectivore or refer to a persistently disagreeable person.