shrew
shrew — noun
- shrewsingular
- shrewsplural
1. a very small wild animal that hunts insects at night, with a pointed nose and ex
a very small wild animal that hunts insects at night, with a pointed nose and extremely tiny eyes
Naoko spotted a tiny shrew darting across the garden path at dusk.
countable noun with 'a' for first mention
The shrew uses its long nose to sniff out insects hiding under fallen leaves.
uses + body part + infinitive to describe animal behaviour
Although it looks like a mouse, a shrew has a much longer pointed nose.
Shrews must eat several times a day because their tiny bodies burn energy extremely fast.
Kwame watched a shrew push aside a leaf with its nose to find a worm.
常見錯誤
2. an insulting label for a woman regarded as quick-tempered and argumentative; dee
an insulting label for a woman regarded as quick-tempered and argumentative; deeply offensive in modern use
"Don't be such a shrew!" Erik shouted at his sister during their loud argument.
imperative + 'such a' + noun phrase used as insult
In Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, the heroine is called a shrew by other characters.
literary reference: 'be called a shrew by someone'
Calling a woman a shrew in a workplace argument is deeply offensive.
Stephanie was hurt when her coworker called her a shrew for speaking up in a meeting.
Many modern readers find shrew offensive because it paints assertive women as bad-tempered.
- harridan
an older, now rare offensive word with similar meaning; less commonly used today
- termagant
a historical, literary word for a violent, overbearing woman; very dated in modern English
- nag
informal term for someone who constantly complains; less severe than shrew and not always considered offensive
文法句型
call + someone + a shrew
用法筆記
This word is now considered offensive and insulting when used to describe a woman. Avoid using it in everyday speech or writing. Most modern examples appear either in discussions of Shakespeare's play The Taming of the Shrew or as commentary on the word's history.