Dictionary

banshee en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /bænˈʃiː/
• (US) audio
• /ˈbænʃiː/

Etymology

Borrowed from Irish bean sí, from Old Irish ben síde (literally “woman of the fairy mound”). The term banshee entered English in 1771.

Meanings

1. (Ireland, Scotland) A female spirit, usually taking the form of a woman whose mournful wailing warns of an impending death.
   • Late had he heard, in prophet's dream, / The fatal Ben-Shie's boding scream […]. 1810, The Lady of the Lake, Walter Scott, 3.VII:
2. (derogatory) A noisy or ill-tempered woman.
   • Where's this old banshee that runs the place? 1936, John Thomas McIntyre, Steps Going Down, page 15:

Forms

Deriveds

bansheelike

Descendants

banshie · ба́ньши · بَانْشِي · banşî · баньши́ · banshee · ба́нши · banshee · banshee · банши́ · banshee · banŝio · バンシー · banshee · 반시 · Banshee · banshee

Relateds

sidhe

Translations (33)

hu sikítószellem (in Irish folklore, a female spirit) · sga baintsíde (in Irish folklore, a female spirit) · fr banshie (in Irish folklore, a female spirit) · pt banshee (in Irish folklore, a female spirit) · eo banŝio (in Irish folklore, a female spirit) · ru ба́нши (in Irish folklore, a female spirit) · sco banshee (in Irish folklore, a female spirit) · ru ба́ньши (in Irish folklore, a female spirit) · ja バンシー (in Irish folklore, a female spirit) · hy բանշի (in Irish folklore, a female spirit) · ko 반시 (in Irish folklore, a female spirit) · uk банші (in Irish folklore, a female spirit) · es La Llorona (in Irish folklore, a female spirit) · sga ben síde (in Irish folklore, a female spirit) · ru банши́ (in Irish folklore, a female spirit) · cmn 喪門星 /丧门星 (in Irish folklore, a female spirit) · cy cyhyraeth (in Irish folklore, a female spirit) · pl szyszymora (in Irish folklore, a female spirit) · gv ben shee (in Irish folklore, a female spirit) · da banshee (in Irish folklore, a female spirit) · fr banshee (in Irish folklore, a female spirit) · ca banshee (in Irish folklore, a female spirit) · de Banshee (in Irish folklore, a female spirit) · ar بَانْشِي (in Irish folklore, a female spirit) · fi banshee (in Irish folklore, a female spirit) · ru баньши́ (in Irish folklore, a female spirit) · cmn 報喪女妖 /报丧女妖 (in Irish folklore, a female spirit) · kmr banşî (in Irish folklore, a female spirit) · gd bean-shìdh (in Irish folklore, a female spirit) · nl banshee (in Irish folklore, a female spirit) · ga bean sí (in Irish folklore, a female spirit) · cmn 喪門神 /丧门神 (in Irish folklore, a female spirit) · es banshee (in Irish folklore, a female spirit)