shrill 1 of 3

as in to shriek
to cry out loudly and emotionally the mud-splattered bystanders were shrilling with outrage at the inconsiderate motorist

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

shrill

2 of 3

adjective

shrill

3 of 3

noun

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of shrill
Verb
This device is very loud and shrill when operating. Kat De Naoum, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Oct. 2022 The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s increasingly shrill brand of Hindu nationalism has inflamed religious animosity within the country. Sadanand Dhume, WSJ, 9 June 2022
Adjective
The frequency range of the FT1 is wide, but the treble never sounds shrill and the bass never booms or imposes on the mids. Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 20 Oct. 2024 The shrill blast of the whistle signaled their departure, and the locomotive strained to pull away from the station, making the carriage jolt. Rachel Raposas, People.com, 30 Oct. 2024
Noun
The shrill, yet welcome, sound of children’s laughter fills the air. Essence, 23 Nov. 2022 The sudden shrill is as jarring as the sound of breaking glass and does equal damage to the video call’s momentum. Stacey Hanke, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2021 See all Example Sentences for shrill 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shrill
Verb
  • Power stick guy, the rodeo clown guys, shrieking college girls.
    Marcus K. Dowling, The Tennessean, 1 Oct. 2024
  • Candiace is building a family of her own, and chose to pursue that journey in an environment where she was not constantly triggered into a shrieking emotional mess at each conflict.
    Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2024
Noun
  • Suddenly, a woman is yanked through a mirror — a moment punctuated by the funniest shriek this side of the Wilhem scream — and the plot is pulled into the ’80s: a critical framing shift that’s never once made explicit.
    Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 3 Jan. 2025
  • Break out three giant claps, a dazzling smile and a deafening scream.
    Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 28 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • But seeing my son squeal over those ribbons of orange tickets streaming out was delightful.
    Blane Bachelor, AFAR Media, 26 Dec. 2024
  • Case in point: their squealing delight at dying as if they’ve been let into the sickest after-hours club in history.
    Graham Techler, Vulture, 28 June 2024
Noun
  • The jungle struck up its evening symphony: the sweet chittering of insects, the distant bellowing of monkeys, the occasional screech of a kite.
    Charlie Cordero, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2025
  • But as the race against former President Trump screeches into its final week, joy has taken the back seat.
    David Lauter, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2024
Adjective
  • Sadly, the Ferrari’s promising racing career came to a screeching halt when French gendarmes seized the car at the Paris Orly airport parking lot—something about a dispute between Monsieur Fayen and the French tax authorities.
    Howard Walker, Robb Report, 23 Dec. 2024
  • DeGeneres has largely steered clear of the spotlight since toxic workplace allegations in 2020 brought her eponymous talk show to a screeching halt two years later.
    Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 12 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • And on Thursday night, Ken Carter was one of about two dozen people inside a basketball gym, where the only signs a game was taking place were the squeaks of sneakers and four buzzers to signal the end of each quarter.
    Evan Webeck, The Mercury News, 13 Dec. 2024
  • 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
Adjective
  • These frogs live along fast-flowing streams in mountainous areas of Madagascar, and with such loud background noise, their calls may be especially high-pitched to be heard by other frogs over the sound of the water, according to Scherz.
    Olivia Ferrari, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Nov. 2024
  • When Stutz spoke again, his voice was weak and high-pitched, all the vitality drained out of it.
    Lila Shapiro, Vulture, 30 July 2024
Noun
  • Don’t be that guy who runs the same series of seven yelps all morning long.
    Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 1 May 2024
  • And the merry-go-round of yelps and vocal chops at its core gleam like Christmas morning.
    Pitchfork, Pitchfork, 5 Dec. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near shrill

Cite this Entry

“Shrill.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shrill. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.

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