scream
Americanverb (used without object)
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screams,
present (3rd person singular)
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screamed,
past participle, past
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screaming
present participle
-
to utter a loud, sharp, piercing cry.
-
to emit a shrill, piercing sound.
The sirens and whistles screamed.
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to laugh immoderately or uncontrollably.
The comedian had the audience screaming.
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to shout or speak shrilly, especially with harsh or exaggerated words.
They screamed across the back fence.
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to play or sing in a high, loud, harsh manner.
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to be conspicuous or startling.
That red dress really screams.
verb (used with object)
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screams,
present (3rd person singular)
-
screamed,
past participle, past
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screaming
present participle
-
to utter with or as if with a loud, piercing cry.
His patience exhausted, he screamed the instructions to the class.
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to bring (oneself) to a specified condition by loud and shrill shouts or cries.
We screamed ourselves hoarse at the concert.
verb
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to utter or emit (a sharp piercing cry or similar sound or sounds), esp as of fear, pain, etc
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(intr) to laugh wildly
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(intr) to speak, shout, or behave in a wild or impassioned manner
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(tr) to bring (oneself) into a specified state by screaming
she screamed herself hoarse
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(intr) to be extremely conspicuous
these orange curtains scream, you need more restful colours in a bedroom
noun
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a sharp piercing cry or sound, esp one denoting fear or pain
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informal a person or thing that causes great amusement
Synonym Usage
Scream, shriek, screech apply to crying out in a loud, piercing way. To scream is to utter a loud, piercing cry, especially of pain, fear, anger, or excitement: to scream with terror. The word is used also for a little, barely audible cry given by one who is startled. Shriek usually refers to a sharper and briefer cry than scream; when caused by fear or pain, it is often indicative of more terror or distress; shriek is also used for shrill uncontrolled cries: to shriek with laughter. Screech emphasizes disagreeable shrillness and harshness, often with a connotation of lack of dignity: to screech approval at a rock concert.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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screamsimple
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screamssimple
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have screamedperfect
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has screamedperfect
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am screamingprogressive
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are screamingprogressive
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is screamingprogressive
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have been screamingperfect progressive
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has been screamingperfect progressive
Past
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screamedsimple
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had screamedperfect
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was screamingprogressive
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were screamingprogressive
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had been screamingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of scream
First recorded in 1150–1200; 1905–10 scream for def. 11; Middle English screamen (verb), (unattested) Old English scrǣman; akin to Old Norse skraumi “chatterbox, braggart,” skruma “to jabber”; sc- (for regular sh- as in Middle English shreame ) from obsolete scritch “to screech” ( see screech
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Even the brief imitation of Lennon’s “losing control” scream is laser-precise, meant to boost the song’s momentum and carry it through a cheery and lazy surf solo.
From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026
Though “stupid song” has its somber moments, it’s easier to scream in a crowd without catching concerned glares.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026
So on Friday, the headline will scream energy and the core will whisper calm.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 9, 2026
Image: FKA Twigs and her dancers letting out a collective primal scream while headlining the LadyLand Festival at Under the K Bridge Park in Brooklyn.
From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026
I am so sick of people fighting, so I scream, “Leave him alone!”
From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz
I heard the screams of cybersecurity professionals ringing in my ears.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
Perhaps no one genre of music screams “Mexican” more than mariachi music.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
The audience erupted with screams even before the show began, as the band broadcast their music videos on the O2 Arena's big screens, and the noise barely dipped for the next three hours.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
During the peak of the chaos, Veerappan heard screams every night from neighbors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 30, 2026
Dziusia screams, and another yellow-orange light flares beyond the curtains.
From "The Light in Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron
A cancer survivor said he was screamed at by airport security staff and "made to feel like a criminal" after trying to retrieve his stoma supplies from his luggage.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
As the sirens screamed again at the central market in Boryspil, Dmyterko pushed her own shopping trolley without looking up.
From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026
She said nothing about his age, but instead screamed, “Allie! He’s the ‘Top That’ guy!”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
“Take the money, Sly!” the smart half of my brain screamed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
Opal screamed when she looked at Archie, seeing the mud caked on his face.
From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff
Their constant screaming and yelling is a feature of the play’s meta-satire.
From Salon ● Oct. 5, 2026
The chaos set off a wave of screaming in the cabin as passengers grappled with the events.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
Its long fences, with relatively small openings, are not exactly screaming “come in.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
"There was a woman, she was screaming for help to get her out of the rubble. She was having trouble breathing and told us that there are more people over there," the 30-year-old told AFP.
From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026
And Rowan, screaming, watched as the back of the cave came to life, opened its blood-red eyes, and lunged for him, shaking snow and ice from its shining white scales, baring its dripping teeth.
From "Rowan of Rin" by Emily Rodda
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
