shriek

American  

[shreek] / ʃrik /

noun

1. a loud, sharp, shrill cry.

   Synonyms:

   screech, scream

2. a loud, high sound of laughter.

3. any loud, shrill sound, as of a whistle.

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verb (used without object)

1. to utter a loud, sharp, shrill cry, as birds.

2. to cry out sharply in a high voice.

   to shriek with pain.

   Synonyms:

   screech, scream

3. to utter loud, high-pitched sounds in laughing.

4. (of a musical instrument, a whistle, the wind, etc.) to give forth a loud, shrill sound.

verb (used with object)

1. to utter in a shriek.

   to shriek defiance.

shriek British  

/ ʃriːk /

noun

1. a shrill and piercing cry

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verb

1. to produce or utter (words, sounds, etc) in a shrill piercing tone

Related Words

See scream.

Other Word Forms

• outshriek verb (used with object)
• shrieker noun
• shriekingly adverb
• shrieky adjective

Etymology

Origin of shriek

First recorded in 1560–70; earlier shrick, northern variant of shritch (now dialect), Middle English schrichen, back formation from Old English scriccettan; akin to shrike

Example Sentences

She sang open-throated declarations, recited broken poetic verses, scatted with the authority of a jazz singer, moaned with bluesy intent, and occasionally let loose an unbridled shriek or giggle.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026

A shriek broke the dawn on the savannah, followed by more screeches and the rustle of branches: The wild Fongoli chimps were bidding each other good morning in the dry, scraggly Sahel.

From Barron's • Jan. 15, 2026

At Mount SAC, for instance, classrooms have high-tech mannequins that can be programmed to blink, shriek and simulate a variety of medical conditions, including heart attacks, bleeding, respiratory failure — even giving birth.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 6, 2025

Because pain itself is generated in the brain, not the body’s tissues, it can be wildly out of proportion to any physical damage, an amplifier that transforms a whisper into a distorted shriek.

From Slate • Sep. 15, 2025

She ended the performance with a mournful shriek more than a little off pitch and looked around, grinning for her family’s approval.

From "Jacob Have I Loved" by Katherine Paterson

Related Words

• howl
• screech
• squawk
• squeal
• wail
• whoop