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
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 Web
Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
Obviously, there is a bird on the hood, the screaming chicken.
—Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 15 Oct. 2025
Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 14 Oct. 2025
When combined Robinson’s primal screams and the writing team’s knack for crafting slightly askew sentences that turn into dialogue earworms, the fake company names a potent blend of comedy that feels like it was always destined to define comedy in the 2020s.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scream
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Verb
Informed conclusion here — Whitworth and Fitzpatrick are going to dunk each other in a vat of Skyline Chili, then scream until the cameras cut out.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
Obviously, there is a bird on the hood, the screaming chicken.
—Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 15 Oct. 2025
Noun
The woman's muffled screams are heard one more time before the video ends.
—Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 14 Oct. 2025
When combined Robinson’s primal screams and the writing team’s knack for crafting slightly askew sentences that turn into dialogue earworms, the fake company names a potent blend of comedy that feels like it was always destined to define comedy in the 2020s.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scream
Cite this Entry
“Scream.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scream. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
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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