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
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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
The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 16 Jan. 2026
What's more, this door alarm features three sensitivity levels and emits a loud, shrill sound that will instantly scare an intruder away.
—Stephanie Gray, Travel + Leisure, 11 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
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.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 16 Jan. 2026
What's more, this door alarm features three sensitivity levels and emits a loud, shrill sound that will instantly scare an intruder away.
—Stephanie Gray, Travel + Leisure, 11 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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The cheerleaders shriek and clap loudly as the women of Sunrise run to center stage, ready to shine.—
Joanna Kakissis,
NPR,
27 Feb. 2026
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His shrieking reactions to his wife’s savagery throw into relief his good nature and her perversity.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Disgraced here but once great, the beloved scream queen comes back to her franchise by way of a new small town called Pine Grove.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
26 Feb. 2026
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Final exams for the winter quarter are about to get underway at UC San Diego, a period so stressful students get together and let out a collective scream to cope with it all.—
Gary Robbins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Someone must have been squealing.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
1 Mar. 2026
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Some people were able to squeal and make u-turns and head away.—
Jack Guy,
CNN Money,
23 Feb. 2026
Noun
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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
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The only noise is the dip-dip of oars and the ethereal screech of horseshoe bats.—
Tristan Rutherford,
Robb Report,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Within days of my first injection, the screeching food noise that had always plagued me became a faint whisper.—
Hunter Lacey,
Allure,
26 Feb. 2026
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The Roadrunners' momentum came to a screeching halt as the Bobcats won 7-2 behind a bullpen that stopped opposing batters from doing any meaningful damage.—
Caleb Yum,
Austin American Statesman,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
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For example, one additional experiment found that changing the thickness of the rubber could make the squeak sound lower or higher in pitch.—
Adithi Ramakrishnan,
Fortune,
26 Feb. 2026
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But some of the insights from the study could help to design squeak-free shoes in the future.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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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
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Depending on the keyboard and its modifications, their sound can range from high-pitched and hollow to deep and full.—
Henri Robbins,
Wired News,
9 Dec. 2025
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 5 Mar. 2026.
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