squeal
Americannoun
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squeals
plural
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a somewhat prolonged, sharp, shrill cry, as of pain, fear, or surprise.
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Slang.
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an instance of informing against someone.
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a protest or complaint; beef.
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verb (used without object)
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squeals,
present (3rd person singular)
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squealed,
past participle, past
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squealing
present participle
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to utter or emit a squeal or squealing sound.
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Slang.
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to turn informer; inform.
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to protest or complain; beef.
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verb (used with object)
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squeals,
present (3rd person singular)
-
squealed,
past participle, past
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squealing
present participle
noun
-
a high shrill yelp, as of pain
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a screaming sound, as of tyres when a car brakes suddenly
verb
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to utter a squeal or with a squeal
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slang (intr) to confess information about another
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informal (intr) to complain or protest loudly
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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squealsimple
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squealssimple
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have squealedperfect
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has squealedperfect
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am squealingprogressive
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are squealingprogressive
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is squealingprogressive
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have been squealingperfect progressive
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has been squealingperfect progressive
Past
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squealedsimple
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had squealedperfect
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was squealingprogressive
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were squealingprogressive
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had been squealingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of squeal
1250–1300; Middle English squelen; imitative
Explanation
To squeal is to make a sharp, high-pitched cry, the way a piglet squeals or the excited way your little sister will squeal when she sees the huge birthday cake you made for her. Grab a piglet by the tail and you'll hear a squeal. You can also bring a bunch of puppies to a kindergarten class to hear a lot of kids squeal in delight. Squeal is an imitative word, one that came from the sound it describes, similar to skvala, or "cry out" in Old Norse, and the English squall, "to cry out loudly."
Vocabulary lists containing squeal
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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:
And as “Blow Out” reminds us, all it takes to be pulled into this vicious riptide is the squeal of a shot-out tire skidding against the asphalt.
From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026
When they get their money, they run madly for the exits, bowling over anyone in their path, and they squeal away in their cars, leaving tire tracks on the road.
From Slate ● Nov. 15, 2025
The word “try” is banned—if a student says it, Lee lets out a squeal so loud that the teaching assistant on the other side of the wall can hear it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2025
"We just heard this squeal, the rev of an engine and a huge, loud impact," Kimberly Stricklen, a visitor to New Orleans, told Reuters.
From BBC ● Jan. 2, 2025
I let out a slight squeal of panic.
From "Ugly" by Robert Hoge
He sticks out his tongue and squeals with glee.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
He recently had a student say “try” five times, earning five loud squeals.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2025
The noises are energizing: tire squeals, engine rumbles and a hip soundtrack once it gets past the classic rock standards.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2025
"I've lowered my standards and my expectations," she squeals whilst buying art and riding in bumper cars.
From Salon ● May 26, 2024
There’s squeals of laughter outside the hole in the wall as the kids scatter.
From "The Knife of Never Letting Go" by Patrick Ness
This morning, I actually squealed when the library emailed to say my hold on “The Wind in the Willows”—a book I first read in sixth grade—was ready for pickup.
From Salon ● Jul. 28, 2026
Lindsie was estranged from her family for years over their suspicion that she had squealed to state and federal officials.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 26, 2026
Leanne squealed and thanked Jake "for not letting me down".
From BBC ● Jan. 24, 2025
Children laughed, running laps around toddlers who squealed with delight.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 13, 2023
The Witchlings squealed and ran off together, holding hands in their own circle.
From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega
“Hey, come here, piggy piggy, come here, baby,” he said in one TikTok video, his bike brakes squealing as he reverses direction to catch up with the pink, fuzzy fugitive.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
"It woke my kids up from the bedroom upstairs and one of them said they thought they could hear a pig squealing because of the noise I was making."
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
Since then, he’s been standing at the edge of the property squealing and crying.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026
“It goes fast, you can hear the tires squealing and smell the brakes, but you’re not burning any fuel or making any noise. You and I could have a conversation going around the track.”
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 14, 2024
Then Tree and Zheegwon pried off the boards and opened the old doors with much effort and squealing of joints.
From "The Marrow Thieves" by Cherie Dimaline
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
