1
: a high shrill piercing cry usually expressing pain or terror
2
: a sound resembling a screech
screeched; screeching; screeches
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
: to utter with or as if with a screech
screecher
noun
Synonyms
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
IEEE Spectrum, 11 Feb. 2024
Review: After seven-year absence, AC/DC proves the eternal joy of a riff and a screech
Oct. 8, 2023
5.
—Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2023
During a walk through the Huntington Botanical Gardens with her mother one morning, Brenda Ramirez was alarmed by the sudden squawks, warbles, and screeches of troops of parrots flying overhead at great speed in tight, precise formations.
—Louis Sahagún, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2024
The explosive screech of violin strings is, however, underscored by one unexpected trill: a notification popping up on my phone.
—Hasina Jeelani, Vogue, 27 Feb. 2024
At dawn one morning, we were awakened by the screech of a patrol wagon pulling up next to us.
—Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 8 Jan. 2024
The rest was drowned out by the sound of a shaking grandstand and the jet airplane screech of 58,000 people.
—Bill Dwyre, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2023
For 31 days, a witch cackles and screeches when anything triggers the doormat.
—Liz Vaccariello, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Oct. 2023
Silver fish leap above the surface, twisting like gymnasts, and a pet peacock screeches from the shore.
—Kiley Bense, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Jan. 2024
Mackenzie Mays, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2024
Kessler said testimony from the family showed no one heard a sound — not Isabel screaming, or their dogs barking, or the lound screeching Isabel’s window made when opened.
—Sarah Lapidus, The Arizona Republic, 8 Feb. 2024
Jones experienced his first rivalry game in a hostile environment Tuesday, running out of the Assembly Hall tunnel to screeching boos from the IU faithful.
—Chloe Peterson, The Indianapolis Star, 17 Jan. 2024
But soon after, another bat came screeching down the hallway and more followed.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 31 Oct. 2023
Birds screeching were the first sign something special was happening.
—Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Apr. 2024
At the last second, the man screeched to a halt, peeled out of the parking lot and drove away.
—USA TODAY, 25 Mar. 2024
In videos of cars screeching in circles, with music thumping and headlights illuminating the spinning and the spectators, there was Diamond perched on the edge of the passenger window, her long black hair swirling in the wind.
—Julia Prodis Sulek, The Mercury News, 24 Mar. 2024
Then his two brothers proceeded to chime in with a cacophony of loud terrible screeching noises bemoaning about how heavy their water bottles were.
—Christina Crawford, Parents, 7 Dec. 2023
Noun
Of course, using piezoelectrics to produce a full range of high-quality audio is a long way from making a smoke alarm screech.
—IEEE Spectrum, 11 Feb. 2024
Review: After seven-year absence, AC/DC proves the eternal joy of a riff and a screech
Oct. 8, 2023
5.
—Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2023
During a walk through the Huntington Botanical Gardens with her mother one morning, Brenda Ramirez was alarmed by the sudden squawks, warbles, and screeches of troops of parrots flying overhead at great speed in tight, precise formations.
—Louis Sahagún, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2024
The explosive screech of violin strings is, however, underscored by one unexpected trill: a notification popping up on my phone.
—Hasina Jeelani, Vogue, 27 Feb. 2024
At dawn one morning, we were awakened by the screech of a patrol wagon pulling up next to us.
—Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 8 Jan. 2024
The rest was drowned out by the sound of a shaking grandstand and the jet airplane screech of 58,000 people.
—Bill Dwyre, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2023
For 31 days, a witch cackles and screeches when anything triggers the doormat.
—Liz Vaccariello, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Oct. 2023
Silver fish leap above the surface, twisting like gymnasts, and a pet peacock screeches from the shore.
—Kiley Bense, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Jan. 2024
Verb
Now, as the state faces an enormous budget deficit that the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office predicted in February could be as much as $73 billion, some of those programs could come to a screeching halt.
—Mackenzie Mays, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2024
Kessler said testimony from the family showed no one heard a sound — not Isabel screaming, or their dogs barking, or the lound screeching Isabel’s window made when opened.
—Sarah Lapidus, The Arizona Republic, 8 Feb. 2024
Jones experienced his first rivalry game in a hostile environment Tuesday, running out of the Assembly Hall tunnel to screeching boos from the IU faithful.
—Chloe Peterson, The Indianapolis Star, 17 Jan. 2024
But soon after, another bat came screeching down the hallway and more followed.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 31 Oct. 2023
Birds screeching were the first sign something special was happening.
—Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Apr. 2024
At the last second, the man screeched to a halt, peeled out of the parking lot and drove away.
—USA TODAY, 25 Mar. 2024
In videos of cars screeching in circles, with music thumping and headlights illuminating the spinning and the spectators, there was Diamond perched on the edge of the passenger window, her long black hair swirling in the wind.
—Julia Prodis Sulek, The Mercury News, 24 Mar. 2024
Then his two brothers proceeded to chime in with a cacophony of loud terrible screeching noises bemoaning about how heavy their water bottles were.
—Christina Crawford, Parents, 7 Dec. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'screech.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Screech.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/screech. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
screech
1 of 2 noun1
: a shrill harsh cry usually expressing pain or terror
2
: a sound like a screech
the screech of brakes
screech
2 of 2 verb1
: to cry out usually in terror or pain
2
: to make a sound like a screech
the car screeched to a halt
screecher
noun
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