noun
- the quality or state of being bad-tempered, quarrelsome, or nagging
Usage: often considered offensive when applied to women
Examples
- Her constant shrewishness made family dinners uncomfortable.
- The character’s shrewishness was meant to provide comic relief in the play.
- He complained about his wife’s shrewishness to anyone who would listen.
- The shrewishness of her tone suggested she was having a bad day.
- Critics noted the outdated portrayal of female shrewishness in the old film.