Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

virago

/vɪˈɹɑːɡəʊ/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.14 in modern English

Syllables: vi-ra-go
IPA: /vɪˈɹɑːɡəʊ/

10

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

3

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A woman given to undue belligerence or ill manner at the slightest provocation.

noun

A woman who is scolding, domineering, or highly opinionated.

noun

A woman who is rough, loud, and aggressive.

Example Sentences

"Not unnaturally, “Auntie” took this communication in bad part. Thus outraged, she showed herself to be a bold as well as a furious virago. Next day she found her way to their lodgings and tried to recover her ward by the hair of the head."
"Joan was all Arden, grinning there, siding with her virago mother."

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin virāgō (“warlike or heroic woman”, literally “manlike”).

Origin

Source language: Latin

Word Breakdown

Root: virāgō

Inflected Forms

viragos (plural) viragoes (plural)

Derived Forms

viraginian viraginity viraginous viragoish viragolike

Phrases

virago sleeve

Frequently Paired Words

virtue

Synonyms

shrew termagant battle axe bitch brim brimstone cat cockatrice crow dragon faggot fishwife

Rhymes With

chicago

Questions

How do you pronounce virago?: The recorded pronunciation is /vɪˈɹɑːɡəʊ/.
What does virago mean?: A woman given to undue belligerence or ill manner at the slightest provocation.
Where does virago come from?: It is traced to Latin.

How to pronounce virago

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “virago”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/vɪˈɹɑːɡəʊ/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “virago”.
Repeat and practice — Say “virago” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.