Meaning & use

screeching

adjective·Everyday

Making a loud, high-pitched, harsh sound.

See it in a sentence

The car's brakes let out a screeching sound as it stopped just short of the crosswalk.

A screeching owl broke the silence of the forest at midnight.

A note on using this word

Screeching is the present participle of screech and often describes sudden, unpleasant noises like brakes or animal calls.

Words with a similar meaning

shriekingsquealing

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Make it your own

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