strident
[strahyd-nt]
- making or having a harsh sound; grating; creaking: strident insects; strident hinges.
- having a shrill, irritating quality or character: a strident tone in his writings.
- Linguistics. (in distinctive feature analysis) characterized acoustically by noise of relatively high intensity, as sibilants, labiodental and uvular fricatives, and most affricates.
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Origin of strident
1650–60; < Latin strīdent- (stem of strīdēns), present participle of strīdēre to make a harsh noise; see -ent
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for strident
Contemporary Examples
Then the beat kicks in, followed shortly thereafter by strident vocals.
The Making of Kiesza: From Navy Sharpshooter to Beauty Queen to Pop DivaMarlow Stern
October 20, 2014
Wolf also has campaigned as a strident opponent of Obamacare and touted his medical expertise in doing so.
Phyllis is a short, stocky, enraged-seeming woman with a high, strident voice and piercing stare.
His strident screams can be heard on the other side of the wall.
‘Camp X-Ray,’ A Kristen Stewart-Starring Guantanamo Bay Film, Premieres at SundanceMarlow Stern
January 18, 2014
The reason, by and large, is his strident and divisive agenda on social issues.
Historical Examples
"Just a little friendly call," Cassidy announced, in his strident voice.
Within the LawMarvin Dana
Dominating this came Richard's voice, strident with intensity, if thick of utterance.
Mistress WildingRafael Sabatini
He had grown portly and red-faced, and talked in a strident voice.
A strident dame, this, in red satin and diamonds, insisting that she is a lady.
GigoloEdna Ferber
I suppose he got this name from his strident voice and exhaustless eloquence.
Allan's WifeH. Rider Haggard
strident
- (of a shout, voice, etc) having or making a loud or harsh sound
- urgent, clamorous, or vociferousstrident demands
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Word Origin
C17: from Latin strīdēns, from strīdēre to make a grating sound
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for strident
adj.
1650s, from French strident, from Latin stridentem (nominative stridens), present participle of stridere "utter an inarticulate sound, grate, screech," possibly of imitative origin. Related: Stridently.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper