screamed; screaming; screams
1
a(1)
: to voice a sudden sharp loud cry
(2)
: to produce harsh high tones
b
: to make a noise resembling a scream
the siren screamed
c
: to move with great rapidity
2
a
: to speak or write with intense or hysterical emotion
b
: to protest, demand, or complain vehemently
c
: to laugh hysterically
3
: to produce a vivid startling effect
1
: to utter with or as if with a scream
"Use your mirror!" screamed her petrified bodyguard …—
Alan Coren
Alan CorenFans in the mosh pit shook their fists and screamed her lyrics in unison.—Neal Karlen
Neal Karlen2
: to call (something) to mind very strongly and clearly
They may be a pain to carve, but few things scream Halloween quite like the iconic jack o'lantern.—Matt Juul
Matt JuulThere's something about Jane Austen novels, and especially Pride & Prejudice, that just screams fall reading to me.—Kerry Jarema
Kerry Jarema1
: a loud sharp penetrating cry or noise
2
: a very funny person or thing
Synonyms
Examples of scream in a Sentence
Verb
She screamed when the door suddenly slammed shut.
This is so irritating I could scream.
The crowd screamed with excitement.
He was dragged, kicking and screaming, from the room.
He screamed at her to stop.
Sirens were screaming in the distance.
Police cars screamed down the street.
Newspaper headlines screamed about the spike in crime.
Noun
She let out a piercing scream.
that new comedy is a scream
Recent Examples on the WebJonathan Franklin, NPR, 26 Apr. 2024
Up to that point, top rock ’n’ roll bands often had to rely on feeble sound systems that were drowned out by screaming fans.
—Alex Williams, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2024
With every point scored, the singles screamed and high-fived one another.
—Max Kim, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2024
Everything screams traditional workhorse, but Milton was rarely asked to handle a workhorse load for the talent-rich powerhouse program.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Apr. 2024
The clip then quickly cuts to an image of Swift screaming as she’s confined to a straight jacket with an intricate contraption attached to her head.
—Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 19 Apr. 2024
Bystanders screamed as he was engulfed in flames, the New York Times reported.
—USA TODAY, 19 Apr. 2024
And nothing screams summer quite like a neon orange.
—Audrey Noble, Vogue, 19 Apr. 2024
The melody, the lyrics, the voice, everything screams love and romance.
—Liza Lentini, SPIN, 19 Apr. 2024
Christian Edwards, CNN, 15 Apr. 2024
Pet Snake Missing for a Year Was Reunited with Its Owner After Being Dropped into a Yard by a Crow
The owner follows the cat and snake inside, where screams can be heard.
—Kelli Bender, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024
One woman's screams pierced through the courtyard as bodies were freshly uncovered on Monday.
—Aya Batrawy, NPR, 6 Apr. 2024
The family friend heard her scream during the call and then lost contact with Russell.
—Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2024
Shortly after midnight on March 15, a woman in the neighborhood was awakened by screams and pleas for help.
—Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2024
The expectant mother let out a scream and looked directly into the camera in astonishment.
—Jordan Greene, Peoplemag, 25 Mar. 2024
Suddenly, there was a scream, and the bangs started to be heard as bursts.
—NBC News, 23 Mar. 2024
But she shouldn’t be pigeonholed as a scream queen, either.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 22 Mar. 2024
Verb
Stallworth is heard screaming and shown being thrown onto her couch and placed in handcuffs.
—Jonathan Franklin, NPR, 26 Apr. 2024
Up to that point, top rock ’n’ roll bands often had to rely on feeble sound systems that were drowned out by screaming fans.
—Alex Williams, New York Times, 22 Apr. 2024
With every point scored, the singles screamed and high-fived one another.
—Max Kim, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2024
Everything screams traditional workhorse, but Milton was rarely asked to handle a workhorse load for the talent-rich powerhouse program.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Apr. 2024
The clip then quickly cuts to an image of Swift screaming as she’s confined to a straight jacket with an intricate contraption attached to her head.
—Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 19 Apr. 2024
Bystanders screamed as he was engulfed in flames, the New York Times reported.
—USA TODAY, 19 Apr. 2024
And nothing screams summer quite like a neon orange.
—Audrey Noble, Vogue, 19 Apr. 2024
The melody, the lyrics, the voice, everything screams love and romance.
—Liza Lentini, SPIN, 19 Apr. 2024
Noun
Several others immediately attempted to intervene while screams could be heard in the church.
—Christian Edwards, CNN, 15 Apr. 2024
Pet Snake Missing for a Year Was Reunited with Its Owner After Being Dropped into a Yard by a Crow
The owner follows the cat and snake inside, where screams can be heard.
—Kelli Bender, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024
One woman's screams pierced through the courtyard as bodies were freshly uncovered on Monday.
—Aya Batrawy, NPR, 6 Apr. 2024
The family friend heard her scream during the call and then lost contact with Russell.
—Kinsey Crowley, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2024
Shortly after midnight on March 15, a woman in the neighborhood was awakened by screams and pleas for help.
—Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2024
The expectant mother let out a scream and looked directly into the camera in astonishment.
—Jordan Greene, Peoplemag, 25 Mar. 2024
Suddenly, there was a scream, and the bangs started to be heard as bursts.
—NBC News, 23 Mar. 2024
But she shouldn’t be pigeonholed as a scream queen, either.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 22 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'scream.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near scream
Cite this Entry
“Scream.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scream. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
scream
1 of 2 verb1
: to cry out, sound, or utter loudly and shrilly
2
: to move with great speed
3
a
: to produce or give a vivid, startling, or alarming effect or expression
b
: to protest, demand, or complain forcefully
screamer
noun
scream
2 of 2 noun1
: a loud shrill long cry or noise
screams of terror
2
: a very funny person or thing
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