screeching

American

[skree-ching] / ˈskri tʃɪŋ /

adjective

causing or uttering screeches.

screeching bats.
characteristic of screeches; harshly shrill.

a screeching tone.

noun

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

Vocabulary lists containing screeching

"The Interlopers" and "An Interview with the King of Terror"

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

As we talk, on occasion the screeching call of a toucan pierces the quiet, and miles above, the same giant black birds hover menacingly in groups, surveying everything below.

From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026

Meanwhile, pop culture podcast The Spill titled its new episode "Why we're officially done with Timothée Chalamet", and posed the question: "Has the Timothée era officially come to a screeching halt?"

From BBC • Mar. 9, 2026

Outside of major cities, rural communities still light sparklers and screeching "missile" fireworks to celebrate the Lunar New Year, which falls next week.

From Barron's • Feb. 13, 2026

Her tenure at the outlet came to a screeching halt after reports of her alleged romance with Kennedy, 71, surfaced last year.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 5, 2025

Buses, both public and school, grumbling and screeching, smoke billowing from the tailpipes.

From "Look Both Ways" by Jason Reynolds

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023