shrilled; shrilling; shrills
: to utter or emit an acute piercing sound
1
a
: having or emitting a sharp high-pitched tone or sound : piercing
b
: accompanied by sharp high-pitched sounds or cries
shrill gaiety
2
: having a sharp or vivid effect on the senses
shrill light
3
: strident, intemperate
shrill anger
shrill criticism
: a shrill sound
the shrill of the ship's whistle
Examples of shrill in a Sentence
Verb
the mud-splattered bystanders were shrilling with outrage at the inconsiderate motorist
Adjective
the shrill sound of a policeman's whistle
Recent Examples on the Web
Kat De Naoum, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Oct. 2022
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s increasingly shrill brand of Hindu nationalism has inflamed religious animosity within the country.
—Sadanand Dhume, WSJ, 9 June 2022
Alex Ross, New Yorker, 23 June 2025
Still, the shrill alarm that echoed on Friday morning as Israel announced airstrikes on neighboring Iran gave her that familiar feeling.
—Isabel Rivera, Miami Herald, 15 June 2025
Devonne Goode, Parents, 18 Apr. 2025
What's more, this door alarm features three sensitivity levels and emits a loud shrill that will instantly scare an intruder away.
—Stephanie Gray, Travel + Leisure, 5 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shrill
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Verb
This device is very loud and shrill when operating.
—Kat De Naoum, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Oct. 2022
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s increasingly shrill brand of Hindu nationalism has inflamed religious animosity within the country.
—Sadanand Dhume, WSJ, 9 June 2022
Adjective
The orchestration is a touch grotesque, with the first violins given a shrill D two octaves above middle C.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 23 June 2025
Still, the shrill alarm that echoed on Friday morning as Israel announced airstrikes on neighboring Iran gave her that familiar feeling.
—Isabel Rivera, Miami Herald, 15 June 2025
Noun
The Ochi speak, not with words, but sounds—melodic shrills that reverberate in the air and can be interpreted on an emotional level.
—Devonne Goode, Parents, 18 Apr. 2025
What's more, this door alarm features three sensitivity levels and emits a loud shrill that will instantly scare an intruder away.
—Stephanie Gray, Travel + Leisure, 5 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shrill
Cite this Entry
“Shrill.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shrill. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.
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