shrill

[ shril ]

adjective

, shrill·er, shrill·est.

1. high-pitched and piercing in sound quality:

   a shrill cry.

2. producing such a sound.
3. full of or characterized by such a sound:

   shrill music.

4. betraying some strong emotion or attitude in an exaggerated amount, as antagonism or defensiveness.
5. marked by great intensity; keen:

   the shrill, incandescent light of the exploding bomb.

verb (used with or without object)

1. to cry shrilly.

noun

1. a shrill sound.

adverb

1. in a shrill manner; shrilly.

shrill

/ ʃrɪl /

adjective

1. sharp and high-pitched in quality
2. emitting a sharp high-pitched sound

verb

1. to utter (words, sounds, etc) in a shrill tone
2. rare.
   tr to cause to produce a shrill sound

Derived Forms

• ˈshrillness, noun
• ˈshrilly, adverb

Other Words From

• shrillness noun
• shrilly adverb
• outshrill verb (used with object)
• un·shrill adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of shrill¹

1300–50; Middle English shrille (adj., v.); akin to Old English scrallettan to sound loudly; cognate with German schrill (adj.), schrillen (v.); compare Old Norse skrīll rabble

Word History and Origins

Origin of shrill¹

C14: probably from Old English scralletan; related to German schrill shrill, Dutch schrallen to shriek

Example Sentences

These are serious problems — but in contrast, he treats the equality movement among sexual and gender minorities as essentially shrill window-dressing.

From Vox

Unfortunately, the right’s shrill complaints about cancel culture obscure this far more present and complex problem.

From Washington Post

Hearing them without describing them as shrill or hysterical has proved to be a separate, but equally daunting, task.

From Washington Post

Memes have moved on from kitsch and community-forming to shrill and preachy.

From Nautilus

In the city, where the songbirds have to compete with cars, barking dogs, and construction, their calls were louder and more shrill.

From Popular-Science

Behind a chorus of shrill insects, the pops of gunfire can sometimes be heard in the distance.

From The Daily Beast

“When I was doing press for Whitney, critics were commenting on my appearance, saying I was shrill, saying I was needy,” she says.

From The Daily Beast

We're so used to seeing in sitcoms the same relationship: the naggy, shrill wife who's constantly bickering with her husband.

From The Daily Beast

The noise in the stadium grew for every point he won, but the points he lost were greeted with shrill, desperate screams.

From The Daily Beast

Her voice was shrill with disbelief and choked with grief as she spoke to someone on her cell phone in Fujianese.

From The Daily Beast

Robert uttered a shrill, piercing whistle which might have been heard back at the wharf.

From Project Gutenberg

"God bless 'ee, Missy," cried the old man in the shrill cracked voice of age, as he pressed up to the carriage window.

From Project Gutenberg

"Come in," said a Cockney voice shrill with youth, in answer to her tap; and the child obeyed.

From Project Gutenberg

"I shall feed no Yankees," cried a shrill voice, and a young lady flounced out of the door, her face red with anger.

From Project Gutenberg

As they came trooping in, and tumbled into their seats, Letty Barford called out, in a shrill voice.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• deafening
• discordant
• earsplitting
• noisy
• piercing
• raucous
• sharp
• strident