shriek

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

Synonyms of shriek

• scream
• squeal
• yell

Examples of shriek in a Sentence

The birds were shrieking in the trees.

She shrieked when she saw a mouse.

Recent Examples on the Web

As the base runners scampered home, tying the game, Chicago players and fans alike shrieked with glee. —Literary Hub, 8 June 2026

What is a better visual metaphor for being a woman in America than the sight of Patricia (Kate O’Flynn) tearing through the streets of Widow’s Bay, shrieking for help and finding none, while an out-of-shape freak stalks her and somehow manages to catch up to her? —Jen Chaney, Vulture, 3 June 2026

Lyra spent hours running and spinning through the surf, shrieking with joy when the waves caught her. —Brianna Randall, Forbes.com, 30 May 2026

But in the early days of the Maniacs, everyone swears that Merchant was a shrieking dervish during shows, exorcising her teenage demons on the stage of every bar in the Rust Belt. —Dan Kois, Pitchfork, 17 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive 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