trilling 1 of 2

Definition of trillingnext

trilling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of trill
as in quavering
to sing with the alternation of two musical tones a bluebird trilled outside our window

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of trilling
Verb
Sounds of loud trilling shouts after silent hunts, and singing. Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025 The blast furnace of volcanoes has fallen silent, replaced by birdsong trilling from the branches and echoing through a garden of exotic stone. Roger Naylor, AZCentral.com, 29 Aug. 2025 Expect to marvel at saddles blanketed in blueberries and multi-hued wildflowers, marmots trilling their warnings, ibex perched on rocky spines, and neon critters that wiggle and hop underfoot. Wendy Altschuler, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trilling
Adjective
  • The song may be six minutes long, but the circuitous lope of his acoustic-guitar strum and low throb of his warbling feel eternal, like the type of tune Sisyphus might have hummed to keep himself company.
    Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
Verb
  • The combination of quavering flutes and solemn, unfamiliar corridors is disquieting.
    Hazlitt, Hazlitt, 10 Dec. 2025
  • Funke, her voice quavering throughout, recounted the events of the previous night.
    Sasha Pezenik, ABC News, 5 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Peaceful protest, chanting, and holding signs are protected forms of speech.
    Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Jan. 2026
  • Protestors gathered in front of the building for three hours, chanting and singing.
    Michael Abeyta, CBS News, 12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • Emily Henry is so well known for her best-selling emotionally resonant love stories that the author has been called the queen of rom-coms.
    Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 13 Jan. 2026
  • The film is an absolute riot, a no-bones-about-it horror flick heightened by powerful music, confident performances, and rich, resonant themes regarding cultural assimilation.
    Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • The country twang of her Nashville origins has been replaced with sonorous synths, and in the case of Showgirl, a throwback to the retro electric guitar sound of her bestselling 2014 album 1989.
    Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Oct. 2025
  • The work contains sonorous bouts of sorrow, but rage is its primary register.
    Alex Ross, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • These remixes, with actual tension between their textures and keen melodic interplay, live up to the best of Two Shell’s work better than the duo themselves these days.
    Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 12 Jan. 2026
  • Although Jerry Garcia cast the longest shadow across the legend of the Dead with his dark, complexly melodic songs and his hazy, frayed vocals, Weir’s shadow was more translucent, melodically lighter and rhythmically astute.
    A.D. Amorosi, Variety, 11 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • North Texas is both everything that makes college football so irresistibly fun and appealing, while also serving as the worst example of the current model.
    Mac Engel Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Arkansas Online, 11 Jan. 2026
  • The brand is a regular on Oprah's Favorite Things lists, which only makes this deal more appealing.
    Jamie Allison Sanders, PEOPLE, 11 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • Tuesday is shaping-up to be the nicest weather day this week and possibly the most pleasant day for a while.
    Cutter Martin, CBS News, 12 Jan. 2026
  • The wonders of Arenal can be enjoyed year-round, but the weather is significantly more pleasant in the dry season, which typically runs from December to April.
    Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 12 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Trilling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trilling. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.

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