shrill
high-pitched and piercing in sound quality: a shrill cry.
producing such a sound.
full of or characterized by such a sound: shrill music.
betraying some strong emotion or attitude in an exaggerated amount, as antagonism or defensiveness.
marked by great intensity; keen: the shrill, incandescent light of the exploding bomb.
to cry shrilly.
a shrill sound.
in a shrill manner; shrilly.
Origin of shrill
1Other words from shrill
- shrillness, noun
- shrilly, adverb
- outshrill, verb (used with object)
- un·shrill, adjective
Words Nearby shrill
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use shrill in a sentence
Behind a chorus of shrill insects, the pops of gunfire can sometimes be heard in the distance.
A Belgian Prince, Gorillas, Guerrillas & the Future of the Congo | Nina Strochlic | November 6, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST“When I was doing press for Whitney, critics were commenting on my appearance, saying I was shrill, saying I was needy,” she says.
We're so used to seeing in sitcoms the same relationship: the naggy, shrill wife who's constantly bickering with her husband.
‘Surviving Jack’ Star Rachael Harris Is No Longer ‘The Bitch' | Kevin Fallon | March 27, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe noise in the stadium grew for every point he won, but the points he lost were greeted with shrill, desperate screams.
Her voice was shrill with disbelief and choked with grief as she spoke to someone on her cell phone in Fujianese.
Brooklyn Mother, Four Children Allegedly Slain by Jealous Cousin | Michael Daly | October 28, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
Robert uttered a shrill, piercing whistle which might have been heard back at the wharf.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories | Kate Chopin"God bless 'ee, Missy," cried the old man in the shrill cracked voice of age, as he pressed up to the carriage window.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3) | Charles James Wills"Come in," said a Cockney voice shrill with youth, in answer to her tap; and the child obeyed.
Rosemary in Search of a Father | C. N. Williamson"I shall feed no Yankees," cried a shrill voice, and a young lady flounced out of the door, her face red with anger.
The Courier of the Ozarks | Byron A. DunnAs they came trooping in, and tumbled into their seats, Letty Barford called out, in a shrill voice.
The World Before Them | Susanna Moodie
British Dictionary definitions for shrill
/ (ʃrɪl) /
sharp and high-pitched in quality
emitting a sharp high-pitched sound
to utter (words, sounds, etc) in a shrill tone
(tr) rare to cause to produce a shrill sound
Origin of shrill
1Derived forms of shrill
- shrillness, noun
- shrilly, adverb
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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