Shrewish

Pronunciation: /ˈʃruːɪʃ/

Definitions of shrewish

adjective describing a woman as ill-tempered or nagging

Example Sentences

A1 She can be a bit shrewish when she's hungry.

A2 The shrewish woman complained about everything during the trip.

B1 Her shrewish behavior towards her coworkers made it difficult to work with her.

B2 Despite her shrewish attitude, she was highly respected in the business world.

C1 The author portrayed the main character as a shrewish woman with a complex personality.

C2 Her shrewish nature was a result of years of unresolved trauma and emotional pain.

Examples of shrewish in a Sentence

formal Her shrewish behavior towards her employees led to high turnover rates in the company.

informal I can't stand her shrewish attitude whenever we hang out.

slang She's always so shrewish, it's annoying.

figurative The stormy weather matched her shrewish mood perfectly.

Grammatical Forms of shrewish

• past tense: shrewished
• plural: shrewishes
• comparative: more shrewish
• superlative: most shrewish
• present tense: shrewishes
• future tense: will shrewish
• perfect tense: have shrewished
• continuous tense: is shrewishing
• singular: shrewish
• positive degree: shrewish
• infinitive: to shrewish
• gerund: shrewishing
• participle: shrewishing

Origin and Evolution of shrewish

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Middle English

Story behind the word: The word 'shrewish' originated from Middle English, derived from the Old English word 'screaw' meaning 'shrew' or 'scold'.

Evolution of the word: Over time, 'shrewish' has evolved from its original meaning of 'like a shrew' to describe someone who is nagging, ill-tempered, or quarrelsome.