shriek

1 of 2

verb

ˈshrēk How to pronounce shriek (audio)
 especially Southern  ˈsrēk
shrieked; shrieking; shrieks

intransitive verb

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 attentionCalvin Tomkins

transitive verb

1
: to utter with a shriek
shriek an alarm
2
: to express in a manner suggestive of a shriek

shriek

2 of 2

noun

1
: a shrill usually wild or involuntary cry
2
: a sound resembling a shriek
the shriek of chalk on the blackboard

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 Web
Verb
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 Some 66 million guests have taken that swooping, plunging, shaking ride since, shrieking joyfully all the way. Jackie Burrell, The Mercury News, 1 Jan. 2024 After the July prayer circle, children shrieked, chasing each other in a game of tag near the slide and broken swings of the Imperial Courts playground, which sits on the corner of 114th Street and Gorman Avenue. Brennon Dixson, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2023 Victor Frankenstein shrieked, too, upon beholding his creation. Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 30 Dec. 2023 Momen’s daughters — Malak, 15, and Noreen, 13 — shrieked when the blast shook their house and a bright flash illuminated the dark sky. Hannah Allam, Washington Post, 23 Dec. 2023
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.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English shreken, probably irregular from shriken to shriek; akin to Old Norse skrækja to shriek

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1567, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of shriek was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near shriek

Cite this Entry

“Shriek.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shriek. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

shriek

1 of 2 verb
1
: to utter a sharp shrill cry
2
: to cry out in a high-pitched voice

shriek

2 of 2 noun
: a sharp shrill cry

More from Merriam-Webster on shriek

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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