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
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
Kristin Braswell, Travel + Leisure, 16 Mar. 2025
He’s gone up higher for other roles before, like his shrill turn as a rotten southern preacher in The Devil All the Time and his sassy French accent in The King.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2025
Vulture, 3 Apr. 2022
The shrill, yet welcome, sound of children’s laughter fills the air.
—Essence, 23 Nov. 2022
See All Example Sentences for shrill
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
Adjective
There are many reasons to visit New Orleans, from po' boys filled with heaps of fried shrimp spilling out of pillowy soft French bread, the shrill trills of brass trumpets, and the constant bustle of revelers across the city.
—Kristin Braswell, Travel + Leisure, 16 Mar. 2025
He’s gone up higher for other roles before, like his shrill turn as a rotten southern preacher in The Devil All the Time and his sassy French accent in The King.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2025
Noun
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
See All Example Sentences for shrill
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shrill
Verb
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His ability to be believable as both a laconic grump and a hysterically shrieking interrogator helps add some emotional grounding to Havoc, which otherwise indulges in Evans’s more-is-more-is-more ideology.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
25 Apr. 2025
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Dawn fights off the ghost, bleeding and shrieking into the void, pouring her heart into the battle.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
26 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Outside, Jamie had witnessed the congestion and the screams of fans, begging the police to do something about it.—
Simon Hughes,
New York Times,
19 May 2025
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Party boats and vacation resorts are just an arm’s reach away, but instead of providing hope, their music serves to drown out the screams.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
17 May 2025
Verb
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Although it can be characterized by a ringing, pulsing, buzzing, hissing or squealing sound, audiologists say the source of the condition lies in the brain's neural networks.—
Adrianna Rodriguez,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2025
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The couple squealed and giggled in the fitting room.—
Sadiba Hasan,
New York Times,
11 Apr. 2025
Noun
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But their magnum opus was 1978’s Dub Housing, where Thomas shows off his collection of animal noises, grunts, yelps, and screeches, up to his neck in industrial synth-and-guitar factory noise.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
25 Apr. 2025
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His grandson toddled over, climbed into his lap, accepted a kiss with a screech of delight, and scooted off again.—
Ben Ehrenreich,
Harpers Magazine,
26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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But that came to a screeching halt during a winter ski trip with his family when Quesnell suffered a compression fracture of a vertebra in his back and a break in the bottom right loop of his hip.—
Ashley Mackin Solomon,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 May 2025
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The game came to a screeching halt in the top of the sixth.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
14 May 2025
Noun
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As the birds practiced, their initial random squeaks gradually turned into melodies that closely matched their parents’ songs.—
Jenny Lehmann,
Discover Magazine,
27 Mar. 2025
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And studies have shown that mice carrying human FOXP2 genes also make strange squeaks.—
Carl Zimmer,
New York Times,
18 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Another wrong impression involves Morrison’s voice, which seems excited and high-pitched.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
6 May 2025
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The Nashville singer-songwriter waited a full day with the high-pitched, pulsing sound before calling her doctor to check her ears.—
Adrianna Rodriguez,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Throughout the flight, excited reactions and yelps could be heard from the crew over the live stream's audio feed.—
Rachel Chang,
Travel + Leisure,
14 Apr. 2025
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But their magnum opus was 1978’s Dub Housing, where Thomas shows off his collection of animal noises, grunts, yelps, and screeches, up to his neck in industrial synth-and-guitar factory noise.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
25 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shrill.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shrill. Accessed 24 May. 2025.
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