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
Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025
This device is very loud and shrill when operating.
—Kat De Naoum, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Oct. 2022
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 21 Jan. 2026
With sports gambling legalized throughout much of the country and growing rapidly, the NCAA and the sports gambling industry should be hearing shrill alarm bells in this indictment and acting accordingly.
—Arkansas Online, 20 Jan. 2026
Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for shrill
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Verb
The shrieks and shrills filled the room.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 Sep. 2025
This device is very loud and shrill when operating.
—Kat De Naoum, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Oct. 2022
Adjective
There’s a straight line between the criminal investigation of Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell and increasingly shrill threats to seize Greenland.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 21 Jan. 2026
With sports gambling legalized throughout much of the country and growing rapidly, the NCAA and the sports gambling industry should be hearing shrill alarm bells in this indictment and acting accordingly.
—Arkansas Online, 20 Jan. 2026
Noun
The book is closely argued but at times shrill and inconsistent.
—Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for shrill
Cite this Entry
“Shrill.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shrill. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
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