Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
shriek [shreek] SynonymsExamplesWord Origin See more synonyms for shriek on Thesaurus.com noun
- a loud, sharp, shrill cry.
- a loud, high sound of laughter.
- any loud, shrill sound, as of a whistle.
verb (used without object)
- to utter a loud, sharp, shrill cry, as birds.
- to cry out sharply in a high voice: to shriek with pain.
- to utter loud, high-pitched sounds in laughing.
- (of a musical instrument, a whistle, the wind, etc.) to give forth a loud, shrill sound.
verb (used with object)
- to utter in a shriek: to shriek defiance.
Origin of shriek 1560–70; earlier shrick, N variant of shritch (now dial.), Middle English schrichen, back formation from Old English scriccettan; akin to shrike Related formsshriek·er, nounshriek·ing·ly, adverbshriek·y, adjectiveout·shriek, verb (used with object)Synonyms for shriek See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.com 1, 5. scream, screech. 5. See scream. Related Words for shriek squawk, wail, screech, whoop, howl, squeal, yell, cry, shrill, shout, blare Examples from the Web for shriek Contemporary Examples of shriek
Students moan and growl and shriek and yawp, as if exorcising demons in a ritualistic ceremony.
How Taryn Toomey’s ‘The Class’ Became New York’s Latest Fitness Craze
Lizzie Crocker
January 9, 2015
A shriek of glee briefly broke out across the Web as inquiring minds tried to deduce who was the lucky lady.
My Bizarre Night With James Deen, Libertarian Porn Star
Emily Shire
November 12, 2014
Even her brother, Sheriff, who tried to pick her up to cuddle her, was pushed away with a firm “no” and a shriek.
The Life of a Liberian Child with Ebola
Sarah Crowe
November 5, 2014
For all its performance art and immersive theater foundation, the show also has its own shriek moments.
Sex, Blood, and Screaming: Blackout’s Dark Frights
Tim Teeman
October 7, 2014
They will shriek and giggle, half-scared and half-delighted, when their father pretends to be a monster that will eat them up.
The Science of Weepies: Why We Love Crying at the Movies
Elizabeth Picciuto
June 4, 2014
Historical Examples of shriek
It was rather a frightful place to go into in search of the source of a shriek.
George MacDonald
Through the cold and darkness came a shriek that chilled her with horror.
George MacDonald
Yet, in the intensity of her utterance, the feeble whisper struck like a shriek of horror.
Marvin Dana
By degrees her voice had lost its cooing tone and had risen to a shriek.
Harriet Stark
At this juncture the brakes began to shriek and grind upon the wheels.
Louis Joseph Vance
British Dictionary definitions for shriek shriek noun
- a shrill and piercing cry
verb
- to produce or utter (words, sounds, etc) in a shrill piercing tone
Derived Formsshrieker, nounWord Origin for shriek C16: probably from Old Norse skrækja to screech 1 Word Origin and History for shriek v.
16c. variant of scrycke (c.1200), from Old Norse skrækja “to screech” (see screech), probably of imitative origin. Related: Shrieked; shrieking. The noun is attested from 1580s, from the verb.