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
Alex Ross, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
Soundtrack to the resistance Honking car horns and shrill whistles have become the de facto soundtrack of local resistance as some residents have learned to create a cacophony of noise to warn anyone in earshot that immigration agents are present.
—Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 5 Dec. 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
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
When Nosferatu showed his corpselike face, the Wonder Morton’s Vox Humana (human voice) and concert-flute pipes buzzed together in a shrill cluster.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
Soundtrack to the resistance Honking car horns and shrill whistles have become the de facto soundtrack of local resistance as some residents have learned to create a cacophony of noise to warn anyone in earshot that immigration agents are present.
—Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 5 Dec. 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 24 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share