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
Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2025
Gypsy’s famous stage mother, played by shrieking Audra McDonald, is racialized in Broadway’s latest instance of gaslighting.
—Armond White, National Review, 13 June 2025
Brandon Griggs, CNN Money, 8 July 2025
Pretty soon, the whine of the gears, the shriek of the diff, and the sheer cacophony of combustion make conversation all but impossible.
—Tim Pitt, Robb Report, 28 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for shriek
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Verb
Three days before the biggest fireworks holiday of the year, the building exploded, sparking a fire that raged across the flat valley floor amid the sounds of fireworks popping and shrieking.
—Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2025
Gypsy’s famous stage mother, played by shrieking Audra McDonald, is racialized in Broadway’s latest instance of gaslighting.
—Armond White, National Review, 13 June 2025
Noun
Former player Maria Sharapova’s world-class shrieks were once measured at 101 decibels — roughly the level of a pneumatic drill.
—Brandon Griggs, CNN Money, 8 July 2025
Pretty soon, the whine of the gears, the shriek of the diff, and the sheer cacophony of combustion make conversation all but impossible.
—Tim Pitt, Robb Report, 28 May 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 13 Jul. 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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