shrieked; shrieking; shrieks
1
: to utter a sharp shrill sound
2
a
: to cry out in a high-pitched voice : screech
b
: to suggest such a cry (as by vividness of expression)
neon colors shrieked for attention—
Calvin Tomkins
Calvin Tomkins1
: to utter with a shriek
shriek an alarm
2
: to express in a manner suggestive of a shriek
1
: a shrill usually wild or involuntary cry
2
: a sound resembling a shriek
the shriek of chalk on the blackboard
Examples of shriek in a Sentence
Verb
The birds were shrieking in the trees.
She shrieked when she saw a mouse.
Noun
the shriek of the train's brakes
Recent Examples on the Web
Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 10 Mar. 2025
The latest New York news Image A war inside a Manhattan co-op: Noise complaints over shrieking parrots at an apartment building in Gramercy Park led to a $750,000 legal settlement and shattered a friendship.
—James Barron, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2025
Glenn Garner, Deadline, 21 Mar. 2025
Common to woodlands, scrublands, savanna and villages across most of East Africa, they can be found in small flocks, usually making a variety of noisy scolds and shrieks at anyone within earshot.
—Matt Kracht, People.com, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shriek
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Verb
The guests shriek at the sight of the half-naked captain and even more at Wihan’s lap-dance performance.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 10 Mar. 2025
The latest New York news Image A war inside a Manhattan co-op: Noise complaints over shrieking parrots at an apartment building in Gramercy Park led to a $750,000 legal settlement and shattered a friendship.
—James Barron, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2025
Noun
While studying a rare species whose mating call appears to be the frightening shrieks the team has been hearing in the woods, the pair hired Kodiak (McHale) as their guide.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 21 Mar. 2025
Common to woodlands, scrublands, savanna and villages across most of East Africa, they can be found in small flocks, usually making a variety of noisy scolds and shrieks at anyone within earshot.
—Matt Kracht, People.com, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shriek
Cite this Entry
“Shriek.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shriek. Accessed 29 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
shriek
1 of 2 verb1
: to utter a sharp shrill cry
2
: to cry out in a high-pitched voice
shriek
2 of 2 noun
: a sharp shrill cry
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