shrilled; shrilling; shrills
: to utter or emit an acute piercing sound
1
a
: having or emitting a sharp high-pitched tone or sound : piercing
b
: accompanied by sharp high-pitched sounds or cries
shrill gaiety
2
: having a sharp or vivid effect on the senses
shrill light
3
: strident, intemperate
shrill anger
shrill criticism
: a shrill sound
the shrill of the ship's whistle
Synonyms
Examples of shrill in a Sentence
Verb
the mud-splattered bystanders were shrilling with outrage at the inconsiderate motorist
Adjective
the shrill sound of a policeman's whistle
Recent Examples on the Web
Kat De Naoum, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Oct. 2022
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s increasingly shrill brand of Hindu nationalism has inflamed religious animosity within the country.
—Sadanand Dhume, WSJ, 9 June 2022
Hazlitt, 13 Nov. 2024
Like, watched it all the way through from the shrill opening filled with obnoxious kids to the leadenly staged slapstick climax?
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2024
Stephanie Gray, Travel + Leisure, 5 Jan. 2025
The cheering was so loud that even ear plugs wouldn’t have masked the shrill.
—Alli Rosenbloom, CNN, 11 Aug. 2023
See all Example Sentences for shrill 
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Verb
This device is very loud and shrill when operating.
—Kat De Naoum, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Oct. 2022
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s increasingly shrill brand of Hindu nationalism has inflamed religious animosity within the country.
—Sadanand Dhume, WSJ, 9 June 2022
Adjective
Alecia lets out a shrill whistle and the shadowy figures of our campmates stand up around the fire, applauding.
—Hazlitt, 13 Nov. 2024
Like, watched it all the way through from the shrill opening filled with obnoxious kids to the leadenly staged slapstick climax?
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2024
Noun
What's more, this door alarm features three sensitivity levels and emits a loud shrill that will instantly scare an intruder away.
—Stephanie Gray, Travel + Leisure, 5 Jan. 2025
The cheering was so loud that even ear plugs wouldn’t have masked the shrill.
—Alli Rosenbloom, CNN, 11 Aug. 2023
See all Example Sentences for shrill
Dictionary Entries Near shrill
Cite this Entry
“Shrill.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shrill. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
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