Meaning & use
harpy
In Greek mythology, a monstrous creature with a woman's face and a bird's body.
See it in a sentence
The sailors in the myth were tormented by a harpy that stole their food.
The critic's harsh, nagging review made readers call her a real harpy.
A note on using this word
Outside mythology, calling a person a 'harpy' is an old-fashioned insult implying they are nagging or unpleasant, and can sound harshly sexist today.
Words with a similar meaning
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