banshee
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of banshee
First recorded in 1765–75; from Irish bean sídhe “woman of a fairy mound”; bean “woman” (from Old Irish ben; queen ) + sídhe “of a fairy mound” (from Old Irish síde, genitive of síd “fairy mound”; sídh )
Explanation
A banshee is a mythological creature that appears in Irish folklore and fairy tales. Banshees are female spirits that supposedly wail just before a family member dies. Have you ever heard the phrase "scream like a banshee?" Sometimes people say this when a child is shrieking or a stranger yells loudly. In Irish mythology, a banshee was a type of fairy who would keen, or wail with grief, to mark a person's impending death. If you lived in Ireland long ago and heard three spine-chilling cries in the night, you might think it was a wild animal...or maybe a banshee.
Vocabulary lists containing banshee
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
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Speak
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The Cardboard Kingdom
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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.
It was the fewest points the Lakers had scored in a playoff win since 1991 — a real celebration of the banshee stuff the coaches had been preaching for months.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 25, 2025
At the same time, he continues to throw himself a great pity party, wraps himself in his solipsistic view of victimhood, wailing like a banshee and gnashing his teeth in anger.
From Salon • May 30, 2024
At times sweet naif, at times screaming banshee, she seems not quite human, like the strange half-duck/half-dog creature that follows her around the scientist’s house.
From Seattle Times • Dec. 12, 2023
Your banshee will be ready to take off Thursday on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S and PC.
From Washington Times • Dec. 1, 2023
Dolores flitted around the car, screaming like a banshee, her face bedizened with fury.
From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou
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.
