Harpy
noun
a ravenous, filthy monster having a woman's head and a bird's body.
Harpy
American
[hahr-pee]
/ ˈhɑr pi /
noun
-
Harpies
plural
-
Classical Mythology. a ravenous, filthy monster having a woman's head and a bird's body.
-
(lowercase) a scolding, nagging, bad-tempered woman; shrew.
-
(lowercase) a greedy, predatory person.
Harpy
1
British
/ ˈhɑːpɪ /
noun
harpy
2
British
/ ˈhɑːpɪ /
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of Harpy
< Latin Harpȳia, singular of Harpȳiae < Greek Hárpȳiai (plural), literally, snatchers, akin to harpázein to snatch away
Explanation
A harpy is a monster from Greek mythology. A harpy has the head and upper body of a woman and the wings and lower body of a bird. In Greek mythology, harpies were creatures who were sent by Zeus during storms to do his bidding. When a person or an object went missing, the disappearance was often blamed on harpies. The word harpy comes from a Greek word meaning "snatcher." Today, the word harpy is often used as a derogatory term for a very unpleasant woman.
Vocabulary lists containing harpy
"The Odyssey," Vocabulary from Part 1 of the epic poem
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Reading: Literature - Mythology - Introductory
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Reading: Literature - Mythology - Middle School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Its radar-killing Harpy can hover over anti-aircraft radar for up to nine hours waiting for them to power up.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 3, 2023
Ms. Sablone, 35, lives in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, with her girlfriend, Josephine Heilpern, a ceramist, and their dog, Harpy.
From New York Times ● Sep. 24, 2021
The classic example is Israel’s IAI Harpy, which was developed in the 1980s to target anti-air defenses.
From The Verge ● Jun. 3, 2021
Harpy birthday: On Dec. 8, wish it on Ann Coulter.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 26, 2018
“If he is not the Harpy, he knows him. I can find the truth of that easy enough. Give me your leave to put Hizdahr to the question, and I will bring you a confession.”
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
If a woman's happiness depended on her husband or boyfriend tamping down his talents, we'd all think she was an evil harpy.
From Salon ● Jan. 3, 2024
For some, the experience included encountering the majestic harpy eagle, one of the world’s most powerful avian predators and threatened species that has been known to nest near the camp.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 27, 2021
Interestingly, it was once thought that this species was related to other large forest eagles found around the world, such as the harpy eagle of South America and the crowned hawk eagle of Africa.
From National Geographic ● Jan. 28, 2021
Another memorable detail from the episode — Schlafly’s gown with its crazy harpy wings — is accurate but anachronistic.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2020
‘I fear we’ll need them soon enough. As for seeing the future . . . what about the harpy Ella? Has she offered any advice from the Sibylline Books?’
From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan
We encounter it first in Homer’s “Iliad” and then again in Virgil’s “Aeneid,” where it appears at the doors of Hades alongside Gorgons, centaurs and Harpies.
From New York Times ● Feb. 16, 2023
The Greek hero sails through Harpies and clashing rocks to the Golden Fleece, guarded by the Hydra.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 18, 2019
But he barely has time to take a victory lap, because he's still got to see to the swarm of Harpies that materialize in the arena — you know what that means!
From The Verge ● Jun. 10, 2015
Jason and the Argonauts had a stunning variety of creatures – Talos, the man of bronze, the Harpies and the army of skeletons among them – populating the hero's mythical quest.
From The Guardian ● May 7, 2013
He knew through his gift of prophecy that he could be defended from the Harpies by two men alone, who were among the company on the Argo—the sons of Boreas, the great North Wind.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
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