screech

1 of 2

noun

ˈskrēch 

1

: a high shrill piercing cry usually expressing pain or terror

2

: a sound resembling a screech

screech

2 of 2

verb

screeched; screeching; screeches

intransitive verb

1

: to utter a high shrill piercing cry : make an outcry usually in terror or pain

2

: to make a shrill high-pitched sound resembling a screech

also : to move with such a sound

the car screeched to a stop

transitive verb

: to utter with or as if with a screech

screecher noun

Synonyms

Verb

• howl
• scream
• shriek
• shrill
• squall
• squeal
• yell
• yelp

Examples of screech in a Sentence

Noun

With a loud screech, she smashed the plate against the wall.

Verb

I screeched when I saw the mouse.

He kept screeching at the children to pay attention.

“You can't do this to me!” she screeched.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Now imagine the screech of a needle being dragged across vinyl, then swivel 180 degrees to think of the exact opposite. —Zoë Dare Hall, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024

That’s where Fairfield’s mixes came in, allowing the dragons to chirp, screech, sigh, sing, or laugh. —Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 5 Aug. 2024

Verb

But during a visit to Auschwitz together, his memories rush in—aided, in a common Holocaust-film trope, by a flashback, this one aural (barking dogs and screeching trains)—and his emotional opening-up begins. —Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 1 Nov. 2024

In the wake of the 2023 writers’ and actors’ strikes, local crew members and creatives described an anemic return to production as major companies sought to slash costs and the era of Peak TV came to a screeching halt. —Katie Kilkenny, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

alteration of earlier scritch, from Middle English scrichen; akin to Old Norse skrækja to screech

First Known Use

Noun

1560, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1577, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Phrases Containing screech

• screech owl
• screech to a halt/stop

Kids Definition

screech

1 of 2 noun

ˈskrēch 

1

: a shrill harsh cry usually expressing pain or terror

2

: a sound like a screech

the screech of brakes

screech

2 of 2 verb

1

: to cry out usually in terror or pain

2

: to make a sound like a screech

the car screeched to a halt

screecher noun