shrill Definition
shrill (s̸hril)
adjective
- having or producing a high, thin, piercing tone; high-pitched
- characterized or accompanied by shrill sounds
- unrestrained and irritatingly insistent
- Archaic keen; sharp; biting; poignant
Etymology: ME shrille, akin to LowG schrell, Ger schrill: echoic, prob. akin to shriek
adverb
Rare in a shrill manner
intransitive verb
to make a shrill noise or sound
transitive verb
to utter shrilly
shrill Related Forms
shril′ly adverb
shrill′·ness noun
shrill Synonyms
shrill
modif.
shrill Usage Examples
Preposition: of
whistle: The shrill of the final whistle signaled Cambridge's third successive Varsity defeat.
Modifies a noun
- whistle: Alarm calls are in the form of a shrill whistle.
- scream: A shrill monotone scream, which is often uttered by tight flocks flying round buildings at roof-top height.
- cry: With a shrill cry of anger a man rose from a reclining chair beside the fire.
- voice: In my shrill voice I added, ' Say damn ' .
- blast: The referee draws proceedings to a close with three shrill blasts on his whistle, prompting raucous celebrations from the Barcelona players.
- tone: Her mobile rang, its shrill tone cutting through the air, making her jump.
Modifying Another Word
- increasingly: In Russia, the aristocracy became increasingly shrill in its complaints to Tsar Alexander, that the Continental System was damaging Russian agricultural exports.
- rather: Once you get used to the rather shrill deep south accent of Maggie, the play becomes easier to follow.
- too: Too shrill, too high, too scolding, too tentative: women can't seem to get it right.
- so: There is no sound so shrill, so pure and as urgent as a baby's cry for nourishment.
- very: Young hedgehogs will make a very shrill, loud, call if they are in distress.
- slightly: The combination of Bom-Bane's sweet, slightly shrill soprano and Pynn's undulating strings gives each musical riddle an unearthly quality.
Used with adjective complement
Browse dictionary entries near shrill
- ‹ shrike
- ‹ shrift
- ‹ shrieve
- ‹ shrievalty
- ‹ shrieking
- ‹ shriek
- ‹ Shrewsbury
- ‹ shrewmouse
- ‹ shrewish
- ‹ shrewdness
- shrimp ›
- shrimp plant ›
- shrine ›
- shrink ›
- shrink-wrap ›
- shrinkage ›
- shrinking violet ›
- shrive ›
- shrivel ›
- shroff ›

