Dictionary.com

henpecked

[ hen-pekt ]
/ ˈhɛnˌpɛkt /
Save This Word!

adjective
browbeaten, bullied, or intimidated by one's wife, girlfriend, etc.: a henpecked husband who never dared to contradict his wife.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?

Origin of henpecked

First recorded in 1670–80; hen + peck1 + -ed2

OTHER WORDS FROM henpecked

henpecking, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use henpecked in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for henpecked

henpecked
/ (ˈhɛnˌpɛkd) /

adjective
(of a man) continually harassed or tormented by the persistent nagging of a woman (esp his wife)
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
FEEDBACK