squawk

1 of 2

verb

ˈskwȯk 

squawked; squawking; squawks

intransitive verb

1

: to utter a harsh abrupt scream

2

: to complain or protest loudly or vehemently

opponents of the bill squawked

squawker noun

squawk

2 of 2

noun

1

: a harsh abrupt scream

2

: a noisy complaint

Synonyms

Verb

• beef
• bellyache
• bitch
• bleat
• carp
• caterwaul
• complain
• crab
• croak
• fuss
• gripe
• grizzle
• grouch
• grouse
• growl
• grumble
• grump
• holler
• inveigh
• keen
• kick
• kvetch
• maunder [chiefly British]
• moan
• murmur
• mutter
• nag
• repine
• scream
• squeal
• wail
• whimper
• whine
• whinge [British]
• yammer
• yawp
• yaup
• yowl

Noun

• beef
• bitch
• bleat
• carp
• complaint
• fuss
• grievance
• gripe
• grouch
• grouse
• grumble
• holler
• kvetch
• lament
• miserere
• moan
• murmur
• plaint
• wail
• whimper
• whine
• whinge [British]
• yammer

Examples of squawk in a Sentence

Verb

The customers squawked about the high prices.

Opponents of the project have been squawking.

Noun

if we don't receive any squawks, we can assume the change was acceptable

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Sunny now says that this was her effort to understand Suzie’s pain at having lost a child — which prompts the dead bird to spring back to life and start squawking. —Chris Klimek, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2024

Head downtown around dusk and the crows are hard to miss — roosting in trees, squawking to each other and plastering the sidewalk with their droppings, but not if Draco has anything to do with it. —Kale Williams, Axios, 2 Dec. 2024

Noun

There’s no dialogue, at least none decipherable to human ears — everything is a symphony of meows, woofs, squawks, grunts, squeaks, squeals and simian cries. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 20 Nov. 2024

Flocks of sparrows and parrots chirp and squawk in the palms overhead. —Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 9 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

probably blend of squall and squeak

First Known Use

Verb

1821, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1850, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing squawk

• squawk box

Kids Definition

squawk

1 of 2 verb

ˈskwȯk 

1

: to utter a harsh short scream

2

: to complain or protest loudly or forcefully

students squawked about the new dress code

squawker noun

squawk

2 of 2 noun

1

: a harsh short scream

2

: a noisy complaint