Henpecked

Podcast 1 · Introduction

Henpecked

A documentary-style narration: origin, meaning, and feel.

Part of speech

adjective

Pronunciation

HEN-pekt  /ˈhɛnpɛkt/

Definition

(Of a man) continually nagged or dominated by his wife or female partner; persistently controlled or criticised by a woman to the point of submission. A colloquial, mildly pejorative term with a long history in comic and social commentary.

Plain meaning

Henpecked describes a man who is constantly nagged, criticised, or dominated by his wife or partner to the point where he does what she wants rather than what he might choose independently. It is a comic stereotype with a long history.

Register

Colloquial and mildly comic. Henpecked is not a term of clinical or neutral description — it carries the history of its use in comic and social commentary and implies a particular view of gender dynamics that some find dated. It is not widely used in formal or serious writing.