shrieked; shrieking; shrieks
1
: to utter a sharp shrill sound
2
a
: to cry out in a high-pitched voice : screech
b
: to suggest such a cry (as by vividness of expression)
neon colors shrieked for attention—
Calvin Tomkins
Calvin Tomkins1
: to utter with a shriek
shriek an alarm
2
: to express in a manner suggestive of a shriek
1
: a shrill usually wild or involuntary cry
2
: a sound resembling a shriek
the shriek of chalk on the blackboard
Synonyms
Examples of shriek in a Sentence
Verb
The birds were shrieking in the trees.
She shrieked when she saw a mouse.
Noun
the shriek of the train's brakes
Recent Examples on the WebKaren Weintraub, USA TODAY, 9 Apr. 2024
Gosling may still be shrieking in horror, but the hubbub has mostly subsided.
—Jake Coyle and Lindsey Bahr, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Mar. 2024
Advertisement After each invitational, Wilbur gathers us back together with a shrieking bird call.
—Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 29 Nov. 2023
Buzzy titles from the film festival circuit are emerging as early Oscar contenders, while audiences shriek at Halloween's annual deluge of jump scares when not indulging in the summer's final splash of popcorn flicks.
—Nick Romano, EW.com, 29 Sep. 2023
The screen turns red and Mica Levi’s shrieking score fills the senses.
—Hazlitt, 6 Mar. 2024
That can't be helped any more than the Beatles could have asked their shrieking fans to tone it down a bit.
—Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 25 Feb. 2024
May has the audience shrieking as Vanessa, the World’s Worst Customer,™ who comes in loud, rude, and armed with all her own products; berates everyone; and then proceeds to fall asleep in Aminata’s chair.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2023
The first word spoken in the play — shrieked, in fact — is an unprintable expletive for female genitalia favored by the Brits.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2024
Sarah Wood, Vogue, 19 Mar. 2024
By the time the actors were kissing, the gasps, shrieks and applause were deafening.
—Selome Hailu, Variety, 17 Mar. 2024
Then Shadow responds with shrieks and screams, likely to fend off the raven from his territory.
—Helena Wegner, Sacramento Bee, 5 Mar. 2024
Not the music, but the knocks and steps and whizzes and shrieks.
—Alissa Wilkinson, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2024
Levi recorded a group of singers making different shrieks and whoops, then constructed a collage from them that slowly, gradually descends in pitch.
—Tim Greiving, Los Angeles Times, 12 Dec. 2023
With his anxiety constantly at tipping point, Morty's signature shrieks and voice cracks are now seamlessly carried by Belden.
—Huntley Woods, EW.com, 18 Oct. 2023
In fact, they’ve been used for decades to produce the unbearable shriek of a smoke alarm.
—IEEE Spectrum, 11 Feb. 2024
Their storytelling session — monitored closely by Adem, to ensure no aspects of it undermine his bravery or leadership — is interrupted by a piercing shriek.
—Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 8 Feb. 2024
Verb
As darkness fully descended, the crowd shrieked and screamed and oohed and aahed.
—Karen Weintraub, USA TODAY, 9 Apr. 2024
Gosling may still be shrieking in horror, but the hubbub has mostly subsided.
—Jake Coyle and Lindsey Bahr, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Mar. 2024
Advertisement After each invitational, Wilbur gathers us back together with a shrieking bird call.
—Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 29 Nov. 2023
Buzzy titles from the film festival circuit are emerging as early Oscar contenders, while audiences shriek at Halloween's annual deluge of jump scares when not indulging in the summer's final splash of popcorn flicks.
—Nick Romano, EW.com, 29 Sep. 2023
The screen turns red and Mica Levi’s shrieking score fills the senses.
—Hazlitt, 6 Mar. 2024
That can't be helped any more than the Beatles could have asked their shrieking fans to tone it down a bit.
—Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 25 Feb. 2024
May has the audience shrieking as Vanessa, the World’s Worst Customer,™ who comes in loud, rude, and armed with all her own products; berates everyone; and then proceeds to fall asleep in Aminata’s chair.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2023
The first word spoken in the play — shrieked, in fact — is an unprintable expletive for female genitalia favored by the Brits.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2024
Noun
Firth is a picturesque site for a dash, dunk, shriek, return.
—Sarah Wood, Vogue, 19 Mar. 2024
By the time the actors were kissing, the gasps, shrieks and applause were deafening.
—Selome Hailu, Variety, 17 Mar. 2024
Then Shadow responds with shrieks and screams, likely to fend off the raven from his territory.
—Helena Wegner, Sacramento Bee, 5 Mar. 2024
Not the music, but the knocks and steps and whizzes and shrieks.
—Alissa Wilkinson, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2024
Levi recorded a group of singers making different shrieks and whoops, then constructed a collage from them that slowly, gradually descends in pitch.
—Tim Greiving, Los Angeles Times, 12 Dec. 2023
With his anxiety constantly at tipping point, Morty's signature shrieks and voice cracks are now seamlessly carried by Belden.
—Huntley Woods, EW.com, 18 Oct. 2023
In fact, they’ve been used for decades to produce the unbearable shriek of a smoke alarm.
—IEEE Spectrum, 11 Feb. 2024
Their storytelling session — monitored closely by Adem, to ensure no aspects of it undermine his bravery or leadership — is interrupted by a piercing shriek.
—Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 8 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shriek.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near shriek
Cite this Entry
“Shriek.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shriek. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
shriek
1 of 2 verb1
: to utter a sharp shrill cry
2
: to cry out in a high-pitched voice
shriek
2 of 2 noun
: a sharp shrill cry
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