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Synonyms

shrew

1 American  
[shroo] / ʃru /

noun

  1. a woman of violent temper and speech; termagant.

    Synonyms:
    scold, nag, virago
shrew 2 American  
[shroo] / ʃru /

noun

  1. any of several small, mouselike insectivores of the genus Sorex and related genera, having a long, sharp snout.

shrew British  
/ ʃruː /

noun

  1. Also called: shrewmouse.  any small mouse-like long-snouted mammal, such as Sorex araneus ( common shrew ), of the family Soricidae: order Insectivora (insectivores) See also water shrew

  2. a bad-tempered or mean-spirited woman

"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

Other Word Forms

  • shrewlike adjective

Etymology

Origin of shrew1

1200–50; Middle English; special use of shrew 2

Origin of shrew2

before 900; Middle English (only in compounds), Old English scrēawa

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.

The tree shrew had the highest intake at 1.4 g/kg/day, while the honeybee had the lowest at 0.05 g/kg/day.

From Science Daily • Mar. 25, 2026

Lyell shrew was known to reside in just a few locations in the central Sierra Nevada near Mt.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 29, 2025

They included a horseshoe bat called Rhinolophus mabuensis and a dwarf musk shrew which scientists are still in the process of naming and describing.

From BBC • Jul. 15, 2024

The shrew label never worked on her because her unabashed confidence and conviction were always painted as her strengths.

From Salon • Apr. 8, 2024

“You must promise on your oath that if I win you will never eat another mouse or shrew of any type.”

From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.