Meaning & use
shrill
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Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Having a high, sharp sound that is loud and unpleasant to hear.
Grammar: Gradable: shriller, shrillest. Often describes voices, whistles, or alarms.
Patterns
- a shrill voice
- shrill sound
- shrill whistle
The teacher's shrill voice could be heard across the playground.
The alarm let out a shrill beep every few seconds.
Her laugh was shrill and made everyone wince.
adjectivecomparabledisapproving
Expressing strong, often angry opinions in a way that is considered too forceful or unpleasant.
Grammar: Often used disapprovingly about speech or writing, especially in politics.
Patterns
- shrill criticism
- shrill tone
- shrill debate
The debate became shrill, with both sides shouting.
His shrill criticism of the plan annoyed many colleagues.
The newspaper's shrill editorials turned readers away.
verbintransitive
To make a high, sharp sound; to cry out in a shrill way.
Grammar: No object; often used for birds, alarms, or people shouting.
Patterns
- shrill at someone
- shrill with anger
The kettle shrilled as the water boiled.
She shrilled at the children to come inside.
The sirens shrilled through the night.
Word forms
| comparative | shriller |
|---|---|
| superlative | shrillest |
| third person singular | shrills |
| past tense | shrilled |
| past participle | shrilled |
| -ing form | shrilling |
Common combinations
- shrill voice
- He spoke in a shrill voice that grated on my nerves.
- shrill whistle
- The referee blew a shrill whistle.
- shrill cry
- We heard a shrill cry from the forest.
- shrill tone
- She answered in a shrill tone.
Synonyms and how they differ
- piercing
- Suggests a sound that cuts through other noise; can be unpleasant but not always high-pitched.
- high-pitched
- Neutral; describes pitch without suggesting unpleasantness.
- sharp
- Can describe a sudden, intense sound, but not necessarily high.
Opposites
Word family
- shrillness noun
- The quality of being shrill.
- shrilly adverb
- In a shrill manner.
Commonly confused: shrill or shrike?
shrill vs shrike
A type of bird; spelled similarly but pronounced /ʃraɪk/.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'shrill' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Shrill' is an adjective describing a high, unpleasant sound, so it fits 'shrill voice'. 'Shrill' is not a noun, so 'a shrill' is wrong; 'shrill and soothing' is contradictory.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “shrill”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.