strident

adjective stri·dent \ ˈstrī-dᵊnt \

Definition of strident

:characterized by harsh, insistent, and discordant sound

a strident voice

; also :commanding attention by a loud or obtrusive quality

strident slogans

—

stridently

adverb

See strident defined for English-language learners

See strident defined for kids

Examples of strident in a Sentence

The strident tone in his voice revealed his anger.

Recent Examples of strident from the Web

That became clear during the AHCA negotiations, where backroom dealers negotiated a plan to revamp a substantial portion of the American economy in secret, in an attempt to satisfy the House’s most strident primary voters.

— dan solomon, GQ, "Welcome to the United States of Texas," 18 Aug. 2017
One outbreak of gunshots from snipers that took place about 4 p.m. Wednesday around 12th and Clairmount momentarily trapped an unlikely sightseer — Orville Hubbard, the longtime mayor of Dearborn, who was known for his strident segregationist views.

— bill mcgraw, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit '67: 'We've got trouble' — Routine police raid ignites 5 days of rioting," 22 July 2017
Media outlets and prominent voices on police brutality and gun violence noted the organization's first statement about Castile was subdued and passive relative to their strident, clear statements in solidarity with law enforcement.

— chaédria labouvier, SELF, "Why the Women's March Against the NRA Is So Crucial for the Black Community," 18 July 2017
But Trump Jr. took a less strident tone, and even suggested that entertaining an offer to cooperate with a foreign government hoping to influence the U.S. election might have been unwise.

— margaret hartmann, Daily Intelligencer, "Trump Jr. Tells Hannity He Saw Meeting as ‘Opposition Research’ (From a Foreign Power)," 12 July 2017
The West’s disdain for its own values is getting increasingly strident with each passing day.

— dennis prager, National Review, "The Atlantic Publishes All You Need to Know about the Left," 11 July 2017
Wisconsin's politicians are putting together a package of tax breaks and government subsidies, working in tandem with strident trade pressure on China from the White House.

— john schmid, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Foxconn forces Wisconsin to confront acute shortage of automation-age tech workers," 8 July 2017
From within and without the halls of power, Hugo championed a range of social causes ranging from republicanism and freedom of the press to the abolition of the death penalty, and was exiled from France for his strident political views.

— ryan kilpatrick, Time, "A New Google Doodle Celebrates Iconic French Writer Victor Hugo," 29 June 2017
Health care groups that have other items coming up on their agenda may be hesitant to burn bridges by antagonizing Republicans by being openly strident, several health care lobbyists said.

— carolyn y. johnson, chicagotribune.com, "Why some major health groups are unusually quiet about the Senate bill," 28 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'strident.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of strident

Latin strident-, stridens, present participle of stridere, stridēre to make a harsh noise

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1656

See Words from the same year

Synonym Discussion of strident

loud, stentorian, earsplitting, raucous, strident mean marked by intensity or volume of sound. loud applies to any volume above normal and may suggest undue vehemence or obtrusiveness.

- loud shouts of protest

stentorian implies great power and range.

- an actor with a stentorian voice

earsplitting implies loudness that is physically discomforting.

- the earsplitting sound of a siren

raucous implies a loud harsh grating tone, especially of voice, and may suggest rowdiness.

- the raucous shouts of drunken revelers

strident implies a rasping discordant but insistent quality, especially of voice.

- the strident voices of hecklers

vociferous, clamorous, blatant, strident, boisterous, obstreperous mean so loud or insistent as to compel attention. vociferous implies a vehement shouting or calling out.

- vociferous cries of protest and outrage

clamorous may imply insistency as well as vociferousness in demanding or protesting.

- clamorous demands for prison reforms

blatant implies an offensive bellowing or insensitive loudness.

- blatant rock music
- a blatant clamor for impeachment

strident suggests harsh and discordant noise.

- heard the strident cry of the crow

boisterous suggests a noisiness and turbulence due to high spirits.

- a boisterous crowd of party goers

obstreperous suggests unruly and aggressive noisiness and resistance to restraint.

- the obstreperous demonstrators were arrested

STRIDENT Defined for English Language Learners

strident

adjective

Definition of strident for English Language Learners

: sounding harsh and unpleasant
: expressing opinions or criticism in a very forceful and often annoying or unpleasant way

Learn More about strident

See words that rhyme with strident Spanish Central: Translation of strident Nglish: Translation of strident for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of strident for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up strident? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

strident

Definition of strident

stridently

Examples of strident in a Sentence

Recent Examples of strident from the Web

Origin and Etymology of strident

Synonym Discussion of strident

STRIDENT Defined for English Language Learners

strident

Definition of strident for English Language Learners

Learn More about strident

Seen and Heard

WORD OF THE DAY

knee-jerk

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Test Your Vocabulary

Words at Play

Learned Fools: On Names for Students

The Synonyms 'Discover' and 'Invent'

I'll Have the Us(ual)

The Origins of 'Lobbyist'

Ask the Editors

Words of the Year: 1066

How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Irregardless

Weird Plurals

Word Games

The Exceptions Quiz III

Forms of Government Quiz

Name That Thing

Word Winder's CrossWinder

Learned Fools: On Names for Students

Trending: NY Times: Trump's Call Ignites 'Imbroglio'

The Exceptions Quiz III

17 English Words that Come From Japanese

Words of the Year: 1066

strident

Definition of strident

stridently

Indulge Your Inner Word Nerd

Examples of strident in a Sentence

Recent Examples of strident from the Web

Origin and Etymology of strident

Synonym Discussion of strident

STRIDENT Defined for English Language Learners

strident

Definition of strident for English Language Learners

Learn More about strident

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

Learned Fools: On Names for Students

Trending: NY Times: Trump's Call Ignites 'Imbroglio'

The Exceptions Quiz III

17 English Words that Come From Japanese

Words of the Year: 1066