virago

/vəˈrɑgoʊ/

/vɪˈreɪgəʊ/

Other forms: viragoes; viragos

A virago is a loud, bossy woman, like your next door neighbor who is always yelling at kids to get off her lawn.

You can use the noun virago when you're describing a particularly mean and scolding woman. It's not a compliment to call someone a virago, although its origins are much nobler than the shrewish, screechy character it implies today. Originally, a virago was a brave or heroic woman. The root of virago is the Latin word for "man," vir. In other words, a virago used to mean a woman who seemed manly or virile.

Definitions of virago

1. noun

   a noisy or scolding or domineering woman
   type of:

   shrew, termagant

   a scolding nagging bad-tempered woman
2. noun

   a large, strong, and courageous woman
   synonyms: amazon

   type of:

   adult female, woman

   an adult female person (as opposed to a man)