as in to shriek
to cry out loudly and emotionally
the mud-splattered bystanders were shrilling with outrage at the inconsiderate motorist
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in shrieking
having a high musical pitch or range
the shrill sound of a policeman's whistle
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shrill
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
Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 13 Feb. 2026
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
Hazlitt, 20 Dec. 2022
The shrill, yet welcome, sound of children’s laughter fills the air.
—Essence, 23 Nov. 2022
See All Example Sentences for shrill
Verb
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
Adjective
Joe’s voice rose to a shrill cry.
—Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 13 Feb. 2026
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
Noun
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
The shrill, yet welcome, sound of children’s laughter fills the air.
—Essence, 23 Nov. 2022
See All Example Sentences for shrill
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shrill
Verb
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With few exceptions, all the other students had shrieked in fear and had, from then on, called her gross-out or bug-girl.—
María Ospina,
The Dial,
31 Mar. 2026
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The finale is an ambiguous mix of jollity and agitation, with a piccolo shrieking above a militant march.—
Scott Cantrell,
Dallas Morning News,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The junior left-hander, who is committed to TCU, celebrated just about every out with exuberance Tuesday, letting out loud screams and breaking out fist pumps after each strikeout.—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Apr. 2026
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She is played by Gus Birney, who is great; her line-reading of one of the episode’s titles is an absolute scream.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Every moment of euphoria is obfuscated by distortion, every pop impulse is undercut by squealing dissonance.—
Colin Joyce,
Pitchfork,
18 Mar. 2026
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Something’s always smoking or squealing with these boys, huh?—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Native to North America, eastern screech-owls are mostly gray, reddish-brown or brown with yellow eyes, according to the Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
9 Mar. 2026
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This causes a blast of high-energy radiation called a gamma-ray burst (GRB), a final screech of gravitational waves, and sends out a spray of neutron-rich matter, which allows a process to occur that generates very heavy but unstable elements.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The idea to launch a podcast began during the pandemic, when touring — and the world — came to a screeching halt.—
Kailyn Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
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But on March 7, in the regular-season finale against rival North Carolina, that momentum came to a screeching halt.—
Rowan Fisher-Shotton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Contributor DaVonne Onassis Bacchus tested it for us and had only positives to share, from the delivery and setup to the sturdy, squeak-free silhouette.—
Erika Owen,
Architectural Digest,
13 Mar. 2026
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On his proper introduction, Nett seems keen to fashion himself in the mold of new-wave rage stars like Che and Osamason, burning his low-end to a crisp and putting on his best Keef squeak.—
Hattie Lindert,
Pitchfork,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Noise colors can be high-pitched (rapidly vibrating) sounds, low-pitched (slowly vibrating) sounds, or a combination.—
Laura Kiniry,
Popular Science,
25 Mar. 2026
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The sound is urgent, high-pitched, a little terrified, and completely communal — an anthem of permission.—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The yelps and chatter of a nursery school recess clattered down from a small hill overlooking the scene.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
26 Jan. 2026
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They are pinched into a bright, almost surgical nasality or burst loose into grand, sideways arcs, flaring out in a feral yelp.—
Emma Madden,
Pitchfork,
21 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shrill.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shrill. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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