- a cruel grasping woman
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
harpy /ˈhɑːpɪ/ n ( pl -pies)
Har•py
(här′pē),USA pronunciation n., pl. -pies.
harp′y•like′, adj.
- Mythology[Class. Myth.]a ravenous, filthy monster having a woman's head and a bird's body.
- (l.c.) a scolding, nagging, bad-tempered woman;
shrew. - (l.c.) a greedy, predatory person.
- Greek Hárpȳiai (plural), literally, snatchers, akin to harpázein to snatch away
- Latin Harpȳia, singular of Harpȳiae
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
Harpy /ˈhɑːpɪ/ n ( pl -pies)
- a ravenous creature with a woman's head and trunk and a bird's wings and claws
'harpy' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):