shriek

1 of 2

verb

ˈshrēk 

especially Southern ˈsrēk

shrieked; shrieking; shrieks

intransitive verb

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

transitive verb

1

: to utter with a shriek

shriek an alarm

2

: to express in a manner suggestive of a shriek

shriek

2 of 2

noun

1

: a shrill usually wild or involuntary cry

2

: a sound resembling a shriek

the shriek of chalk on the blackboard

Synonyms of shriek

Verb

• scream
• squeal
• yell

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

Verb

Then a fleet of America’s Cup AC50 catamarans — 50-foot carbon-fiber flying behemoths — came shrieking past Calico Jack’s at speeds approaching 50 knots. —Andrew Rice, New York Times, 8 May 2026

Nearby, children rode floaties atop the clear blue water, shrieking with delight as their parents lounged beneath umbrellas. —Ada Calhoun, Travel + Leisure, 7 May 2026

Noun

But though Marcloid has continued to refine her extravagant, gonzo, and lurid sound—the blast beats and guttural shrieks slot into the Tupperware synths and call-waiting arpeggios with more supple flexibility than ever before—Lavender Networks is still far from commercial. —Reed Jackson, SPIN, 8 May 2026

Less than 30 seconds later came the shriek of the two missiles that lanced through Turmus’ car. —Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English shreken, probably irregular from shriken to shriek; akin to Old Norse skrækja to shriek

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1567, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for shriek

• beak
• beek
• bleak
• cheek
• chic
• clique
• creak
• creek
• eke
• freak
• geek
• greek

Kids Definition

shriek

1 of 2 verb

ˈshrēk 

1

: to utter a sharp shrill cry

2

: to cry out in a high-pitched voice

shriek

2 of 2 noun

: a sharp shrill cry