1
as in shrew
a bad-tempered scolding woman
in fairy tales stepmothers are often portrayed as harpies who make the lives of their stepchildren miserable
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2
as in predator
a person who habitually preys upon others
having just started to make it really big in the music business, he found himself surrounded by a flock of harpies greedy for a piece of the action
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Recent Examples of harpy
The clergy and royal courts in days of yore used images of griffins, hellmouths, harpies, dragons and sea swine to instill fear, to divide anxious populations, to assert dominance and control, and to ostracize non-Europeans.
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Steven Litt, cleveland.com, 1 Sep. 2019
Elizabeth Moss, as Claire, has based her career playing sad-sacks and harpies, in Mad Men, The Square, The Handmaid’s Tale, and Her Smell; so Moss is a comic actress by default.
—Armond White, National Review, 9 Aug. 2019
There are fairies and nymphs, unicorns, harpies, giants, ogres, trolls, Gollums and dragons.
—Patti Restivo, baltimoresun.com, 14 June 2019
But maybe these women aren’t evil vixens or cold-hearted harpies.
—Andrea Bartz, Marie Claire, 25 Feb. 2019
See all Example Sentences for harpy 
Steven Litt, cleveland.com, 1 Sep. 2019
Elizabeth Moss, as Claire, has based her career playing sad-sacks and harpies, in Mad Men, The Square, The Handmaid’s Tale, and Her Smell; so Moss is a comic actress by default.
—Armond White, National Review, 9 Aug. 2019
There are fairies and nymphs, unicorns, harpies, giants, ogres, trolls, Gollums and dragons.
—Patti Restivo, baltimoresun.com, 14 June 2019
But maybe these women aren’t evil vixens or cold-hearted harpies.
—Andrea Bartz, Marie Claire, 25 Feb. 2019
See all Example Sentences for harpy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harpy
Noun
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There have been a few seasons of the show in which men (see: season five Cole) are portrayed as innocent but good-hearted idiots and women as harsh shrews.Alex Abad-Santos, Vox, 31 Oct. 2024
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Revolutionizing Fossil Analysis with X-Ray Imaging The concept arose almost by chance when Ian Corfe was probing shrew teeth at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility in France (synchrotrons are high-powered instruments that use X-ray beams).Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 7 Aug. 2024
Noun
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The 2024 remake reminds viewers that centuries-old vampire lore can be just as frightening as the imaginations of the present day, by highlighting the repulsive yet seductive dynamic between predator and prey.Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 23 Dec. 2024
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The setup is designed to protect them from ravens, coyotes and other predators, along with the other harms a Marine base might present.Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 22 Dec. 2024
Noun
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While the four vampires (plus their Monster and the Guide, played by Kristen Schaal) are largely unfazed by the news, Guillermo starts to spiral, seemingly unable to accept that this is the end of everything he's worked so hard for (under the watchful eye of the cameras).Stacy Lambe, People.com, 17 Dec. 2024
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The show ran from 1997 to 2003 and saw Gellar’s Buffy Summers seek out and destroy vampires, demons and other forces of darkness, with the help of her friends.Christy Piña, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Then, Syria will need, well, everything — the rebuilding of schools, roads, and hospitals; a functioning government; the means by which to welcome back millions of refugees; protection from vulture groups looking to exploit the new vacuum.S.E. Cupp, New York Daily News, 10 Dec. 2024
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Intelligencer The Cut Vulture The Strategist Curbed Grub Street vulture games Dec. 8, 2024 By Britina Cheng, Vulture’s Cinematrix producer A new Cinematrix drops every morning.Britina Cheng, Vulture, 8 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Harpy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harpy. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
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