strident
Americanadjective
-
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.
adjective
-
(of a shout, voice, etc) having or making a loud or harsh sound
-
urgent, clamorous, or vociferous
strident demands
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of strident
1650–60; < Latin strīdent- (stem of strīdēns ), present participle of strīdēre to make a harsh noise; see -ent
Explanation
Something that's strident is loud, grating, and obnoxious. Your roommate's strident laughter as he watches cartoons late into the night might inspire you to buy a pair of ear plugs. Strident is related to the Latin word strix, meaning "screech owl." This is a kind of owl that doesn't hoot. It screeches in a strident way. Strident can also describe the forceful expression of an unpopular opinion. Don't confuse strident with striding, which means walking quickly with a wide step. If you're angry at your brother, you might come striding into his room and begin making a strident case for why he has done you wrong.
Vocabulary lists containing strident
Lord of the Flies
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
A Raisin in the Sun
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Grade 12, List 2
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
Strident moral positions and overheated rhetoric are features of student activism, which is sometimes effective and at other times purely symbolic; every generation, it’s fair to say, inherits or creates its own iteration.
From Salon • Apr. 28, 2024
Strident public protests led to the ouster of then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
From Seattle Times • Oct. 12, 2023
Strident, compressed guitars now underpinned his biggest hits, including another breakup masterpiece with Kelly Clarkson, as well as a string of songs with Pink.
From The Guardian • Oct. 25, 2019
Strident speeches are great for rallying the base and energizing the activists who are already on your side, but they tend to turn off the people who are "gettable" but not yet persuaded.
From US News • May 20, 2015
The Strident Voice Let us see for ourselves.
From Jeremiah A Drama in Nine Scenes by Zweig, Stefan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
