shrill

American  

[shril] / ʃrɪl /

adjective

shriller, shrillest

1. high-pitched and piercing in sound quality.

   a shrill cry.

2. producing such a sound.

3. full of or characterized by such a sound.

   shrill music.

4. betraying some strong emotion or attitude in an exaggerated amount, as antagonism or defensiveness.

5. marked by great intensity; keen.

   the shrill, incandescent light of the exploding bomb.

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verb (used with or without object)

1. to cry shrilly.

noun

1. a shrill sound.

adverb

1. in a shrill manner; shrilly.

shrill British  

/ ʃrɪl /

adjective

1. sharp and high-pitched in quality

2. emitting a sharp high-pitched sound

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verb

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

2. rare (tr) to cause to produce a shrill sound

Other Word Forms

• outshrill verb (used with object)
• shrillness noun
• shrilly adverb
• unshrill adjective

Etymology

Origin of shrill

1300–50; Middle English shrille (adj., v.); akin to Old English scrallettan to sound loudly; cognate with German schrill (adj.), schrillen (v.); compare Old Norse skrīll rabble

Example Sentences

He opened his big mouth and made the bottoms ring with his shrill cries.

From Literature

Pixie voices are so high and shrill that their giggles ring in your ears.

From Literature

Mom asked in a shrill, unnatural voice Jonah was sure he’d never heard her use before.

From Literature

Then she whistled her shell, two long, shrill notes that carried far out to the reef, where the sea lions were fishing.

From Literature

It was shrill, grating like broken nails on glass.

From Literature

Related Words

• deafening
• discordant
• earsplitting
• noisy
• piercing
• raucous
• sharp
• strident