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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This strategic approach allows easier access to critical organs, particularly the liver, which is rich in lipids and nutritionally important for the predators.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 29 Nov. 2024
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The footprints are the first physical proof that different hominin species overlapped in exactly the same time and space, dodging predators and finding food in the ancient landscape, according to the study.Katie Hunt, CNN, 28 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Various theoretical, even divergent, details have been posited regarding the project — a period vampire thriller, a helicopter action thriller — but insiders maintain that nothing has come close to nailing Nolan’s real idea.Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Nov. 2024
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Things like the date Bella finds out that Edward is a vampire (January 18), or Renesemee’s birthday (famously 9/11).Vulture Staff, Vulture, 15 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Whether sung by a group of vultures, a menacing sea witch, or a cavalcade of pirates, these Disney songs have made a titanic impact on the All-American songbook.Barry Levitt, TIME, 27 Nov. 2024
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Intelligencer The Cut Vulture The Strategist Curbed Grub Street vulture games Nov. 25, 2024 A new Cinematrix drops every morning.Joe Reid, Vulture, 25 Nov. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Harpy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harpy. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.
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