Phrase guide

Nurse Ratched

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A sadistic, controlling woman, especially a nurse, in a position of authority.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Coined for the fictional character Nurse Ratched, the head nurse in Ken Kesey's 1962 novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (and the 1975 film adaptation, in which she was portrayed by actress Louise Fletcher).