screeching

American  

[skree-ching] / ˈskri tʃɪŋ /

adjective

1. causing or uttering screeches.

   screeching bats.

2. characteristic of screeches; harshly shrill.

   a screeching tone.

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noun

1. the act or sound of a person or thing that screeches.

Other Word Forms

• screechingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of screeching

First recorded in 1610–20; screech + -ing ², -ing ¹

Example Sentences

It’s pulling into the station now, a cloud of steam and dust and screeching noise as I skid down the final steps.

From Literature

The parallels to contemporary American culture are obvious if not literal, but Ms. Ziegler is too gifted a playwright to shrink a nuanced tragedy into a screeching protest sign.

From The Wall Street Journal

Most movie car chases involve screeching around city corners, weaving in and out of traffic and almost always smashing into a few police cars.

From Barron's

By the mercy of God the other hen had stopped screeching.

From Literature

They started screeching and chattering like a bunch of squirrels in a hickory nut tree.

From Literature

Related Words

• bitter
• bleak
• grim
• hard
• rigid
• severe
• sharp
• strident