harridan

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harridan

/ˈhæɹ.ɪ.dən/ UK
/ˈhæɹ.ɪ.dən/ US
/ˈhɛɹ.ɪ.dən/ US

Where it comes from

Perhaps a modification of French haridelle (“old horse, nag”).

noun harridans

A vicious and scolding woman, especially an older one. Why is that tattling old harridan, Peggy O'Dowd, to make free with my name at her d—d supper-table, and advertise my engagement over the three kingdoms?
Similar: battle axe, bitch, brim, brimstone, cat, cockatrice, crow, dragon, faggot, fishwife, harpy, harridan

Translations

Every language

noun vicious and scolding woman

Español	vieja gruñona, arpía
日本語	鬼女 gijo, 鬼婆 onibaba, 悪婆 akuba
中文	老太婆 lǎotàipó, 老潑婦 /老泼妇 lǎopōfù
Français	harpie, dragon, virago, haridelle, mégère, xanthippe
Deutsch	Drache (alter Drachen m), Xanthippe, Hexe, Vettel
Italiano	arpìa
Русский	ве́дьма védʹma, карга́ kargá, мы́мра mýmra, гры́мза grýmza, меге́ра megéra

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MLA

"harridan." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/harridan. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

harridan. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/harridan

Chicago

"harridan." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/harridan.

BibTeX

@misc{harridan_2026,
  title = {harridan},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/harridan},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}