virago

Definitions

vir (man) + -āgō (a Latin noun ending). Latin virago meant 'a woman with the strength of a man' — originally admiring (a heroic woman). English kept that older heroic sense in literary use, but everyday usage soured it into a put-down: a fierce, scolding, domineering woman. The judgement shifted; the root (a 'manly' woman) stayed.

Why It Means This

Virago shows how a word's tone can flip while its parts stay fixed. Built on vir ('man'), it first praised a woman strong as a man. Over centuries the culture reframed a forceful woman as unpleasant rather than admirable, so virago drifted from compliment to insult — though writers can still revive the heroic sense for effect.

Common Collocations

• 1.a fearsome virago可怕的悍妇
• 2.a scolding virago破口大骂的泼妇

Example Sentences

• 1.

  The landlady was a fearsome virago who terrified every tenant.

• 2.

  In the old epic she appears as a virago leading men into battle.