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

Back in the car, Albert moans and groans while Billie shrieks in panic. —Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Feb. 2026

The shrieking young women are hilarious, as are their hairdos. —David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 Feb. 2026

Noun

Passersby hear its shrieks and moans from the road. —Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 17 Feb. 2026

Certain big tackles, hopeful shots and fouls draw the odd reactive shriek, but this is a group that has come to sing for 90 minutes off the same hymn sheet. —Theo Lloyd-Hughes, New York Times, 1 Feb. 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