primal scream

Save This Word!

noun

a scream uttered by a person undergoing primal therapy.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

Origin of primal scream

An Americanism dating back to 1970–75

The quiet is pierced by giggles and a high-pitched primal scream.
To Get a Shot at Justice, They Were Forced to Prove Their Disabled Daughter’s Intelligence|by Carol Marbin Miller and Daniel Chang, Miami Herald|June 24, 2021|ProPublica
People scream, the orchestra stops playing, and the stage manager whisks the diva into the wings.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Available at Amazon Vince Camuto Moto Baseball Cap, $34 Baseball caps may be useful on the road, but they scream “tourist!”
The Daily Beast’s 2014 Holiday Gift Guide: For the Anthony Bourdain in Your Life|Allison McNearney|November 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And to this day, liberals in the political world use the name “Willie Horton” to describe an appeal to primal racial fears.
Want President Hillary? Then Primary Her|Jeff Greenfield|November 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST

De la Renta was a confident thoroughbred, never needing to scream for attention.
Fashion Designer Oscar de la Renta, American Great, Dead at 82|Tim Teeman|October 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Sadly, no one helps him, opting instead to scream and run—but can you blame them?
Breakdancing Brad Pitt, Chainsaw Massacre Prank, and More Viral Videos|The Daily Beast Video|October 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Miss Christabel blushed furiously and emitted a sound half between a laugh and a scream.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke
The poverty of earlier days was the outcome of the insufficiency of human labor to meet the primal needs of human kind.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock
The primal rigidity of the straight line yields later on to the freedom of an organ.
Children's Ways|James Sully
"Now, you say you heard your sister scream," said the lawyer after the usual formalities had passed.
The Homesteader|Oscar Micheaux
Now Mrs. Glavis, do you recall having ever heard your sister scream before in a like manner?
The Homesteader|Oscar Micheaux