Xanthippe
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Xanthippe
- /zænˈθɪpi/ US, UK
Rhymes with -ɪpi
Where it comes from
Borrowed from Latin Xanthippē or its etymon Ancient Greek Ξανθίππη (Xanthíppē), the name of Socrates’ wife, from ξανθός (xanthós, “blond; golden, yellow”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱas- (“blond; grey; white”)) + ἵππος (híppos, “horse”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁eḱ- (“horse; swift (?)”)). She is described as shrewish in Xenophon’s Symposium, though the same work states that Socrates chose her precisely because of her argumentative spirit. In Xenophon’s Memorabilia and Phaedo by Plato she is depicted as a devoted wife and mother.
noun Xanthippes · Xantippe
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An ill-tempered woman.
Be ſhe as foule as was Florentius Loue, / As old as Sibell, and as curſt and ſhrow'd / As Socrates Zentippe, or a worſe: / She moues me not, or not remoues at leaſt / Affections edge in me.
Similar: battle axe, bitch, brim, brimstone, cat, cockatrice, crow, dragon, faggot, fishwife, harpy, harridan
Translations
Talk about this word "Xanthippe." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/xanthippe. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. Xanthippe. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/xanthippe "Xanthippe." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/xanthippe.Cite this
@misc{xanthippe_2026,
title = {Xanthippe},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/xanthippe},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
