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shrill
[shril]
adjective
high-pitched and piercing in sound quality.
a shrill cry.
producing such a sound.
full of or characterized by such a sound.
shrill music.
betraying some strong emotion or attitude in an exaggerated amount, as antagonism or defensiveness.
marked by great intensity; keen.
the shrill, incandescent light of the exploding bomb.
verb (used with or without object)
to cry shrilly.
noun
a shrill sound.
adverb
in a shrill manner; shrilly.
shrill
/ ʃrɪl /
adjective
sharp and high-pitched in quality
emitting a sharp high-pitched sound
verb
to utter (words, sounds, etc) in a shrill tone
rare, (tr) to cause to produce a shrill sound
Other Word Forms
- shrillness noun
- shrilly adverb
- outshrill verb (used with object)
- unshrill adjective
Word History and Origins
Origin of shrill1
Word History and Origins
Origin of shrill1
Example Sentences
Veronika’s shrill, repeated demand that they leave “right now, Mama, right now!” had given her a blinding headache, or so Madame claimed.
Bars beckon along our path of modern-day “riau-riau music, the pipes shrill and the drums pounding,” and we dance our way in and out of a few joints, looking for the right madness.
Finally, India’s jingoistic domestic discourse on Pakistan, exemplified by a shrill media that struggles to separate fact from fantasy, has made it easier for Washington to ignore legitimate Indian concerns about the Islamic Republic.
“I know James isn’t going to take the impression in a more self-righteous or shrill direction,” he says—not because “SNL” is playing things safe, but because the bit simply wouldn’t be as funny.
Thatcher was seen as "strange and shrill" when she got the job, but became the party's most successful boss of modern times.
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