shrill

1 of 3

verb

ˈshril How to pronounce shrill (audio)
 especially Southern  ˈsril
shrilled; shrilling; shrills

intransitive verb

: to utter or emit an acute piercing sound

shrill

2 of 3

adjective

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
shrill adverb
shrillness noun
shrilly
ˈshril-lē How to pronounce shrill (audio)
 especially Southern  ˈsril-
adverb

shrill

3 of 3

noun

: 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
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 Each of the four movements Thursday traced a giant decrescendo, coming on strong with cacophonous, often shrill music and slowly ebbing away in a dazzling variety of textures and colors, all of them sparse and serene. Zachary Lewis, cleveland, 7 Jan. 2022 Earth smells and the pungency of privet and balsam were still acute at this hour, unmingled; the shadows were as bold as in a child’s picture book; swifts and house martins tracked across the pale sky overhead, shrilling in thrilled anticipation. Tessa Hadley, The New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2019
Adjective
The shrill drone of dial-up is a defining feature of Kyle Mooney’s directorial debut Y2K, even if the actual sound plays only a few times throughout the comedian’s brash and lopsided film. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2024 The actor got his start as Return of the Jedi’s Salacious Crumb, a shrill monkey-lizard who served Jabba the Hut. Shania Russell, EW.com, 3 Mar. 2024 Woodies make several different sounds, all based on shrill whistling. Phil Bourjaily, Field & Stream, 15 Feb. 2024 Jeff is a buffoon, always setting off his shrill, tacky wife Susie (Susie Essman). TIME, 2 Feb. 2024 But by that point, all the increasingly hysterical participants, with their cross purposes and betrayals and manipulations and cunning switcheroos, just become a shrill blur. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Jan. 2024 The band’s music was based around Biafra’s shrill and piercing voice and Ray’s snarling guitar, but obviously the subject matter was what drove the controversies around the band — many record stores refused to stock it and radio airplay unsurprisingly was virtually nil. Jem Aswad, Variety, 18 Dec. 2023 The intervals between scenes, however, plunge the audience into total darkness, surrounded by the shrill roaring of cicadas, creating an effect that’s more jarring than haunting. Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 19 Dec. 2023 Related Stories Christine Lahti Joins Cast of 'Russian Troll Farm: A Workplace Comedy' Off-Broadway (Exclusive) Appropriate begins with the shrill whine of cicadas. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Dec. 2023
Noun
The cheering was so loud that even ear plugs wouldn’t have masked the shrill. Alli Rosenbloom, CNN, 11 Aug. 2023 There has never been—knock on all wood—a bite, not even when that territorial shih tzu on Fawn Street broke away from its owner and chased us off the block with a shrill, honestly quite aggressive, warning. Hazlitt, 20 Dec. 2022 Harris guest-starred on Seinfeld for 27 episodes as the shrill Estelle Costanza, opposite Jerry Stiller as George’s father, Frank Costanza. Vulture, 3 Apr. 2022 The shrill, yet welcome, sound of children’s laughter fills the air. Essence, 23 Nov. 2022 The sudden shrill is as jarring as the sound of breaking glass and does equal damage to the video call’s momentum. Stacey Hanke, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2021 Sonically, Levi’s first film is equal parts shrill and echoey. Samantha Hissong, Rolling Stone, 7 July 2021 The syrup, meanwhile, made the Sauvignon’s acidity shrill and flattened the Riesling’s fruit. Lettie Teague, WSJ, 23 June 2021 Elsewhere, another citizen glanced over her shoulder, hastily pulled herself into a dress, and winced at a whistle blown by one of the three advancing officers, the shrill of it a rip of violence through the mild day. Hermione Hoby, Harper's Magazine, 22 June 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shrill.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English; probably akin to Old English scrallettan to resound loudly — more at skirl

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1589, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of shrill was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near shrill

Cite this Entry

“Shrill.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shrill. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

shrill

1 of 3 verb
: to make a high sharp piercing sound : scream

shrill

2 of 3 adjective
: having a sharp high sound
a shrill whistle
shrill adverb
shrillness noun
shrilly adverb

shrill

3 of 3 noun
: a shrill sound

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