SCREECH

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does screech mean? 

• SCREECH (noun)
  The noun SCREECH has 2 senses:

1. a high-pitched noise resembling a human cry

2. sharp piercing cry

  Familiarity information: SCREECH used as a noun is rare.

• SCREECH (verb)
  The verb SCREECH has 2 senses:

1. make a high-pitched, screeching noise

2. utter a harsh abrupt scream

  Familiarity information: SCREECH used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SCREECH (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A high-pitched noise resembling a human cry

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Synonyms:

scream; screaming; screech; screeching; shriek; shrieking

Context example:

he heard the scream of the brakes

Hypernyms ("screech" is a kind of...):

noise (sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound))

Derivation:

screech (make a high-pitched, screeching noise)

screechy (having or making a high-pitched sound such as that made by a mouse or a rusty hinge)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Sharp piercing cry

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

scream; screaming; screech; screeching; shriek; shrieking

Context example:

her screaming attracted the neighbors

Hypernyms ("screech" is a kind of...):

call; cry; outcry; shout; vociferation; yell (a loud utterance; often in protest or opposition)

Derivation:

screech (utter a harsh abrupt scream)

screechy (having or making a high-pitched sound such as that made by a mouse or a rusty hinge)

• SCREECH (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they screech    ... he / she / it screeches   
Past simple: screeched   
Past participle: screeched   
-ing form: screeching   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Make a high-pitched, screeching noise

Classified under:

Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling

Synonyms:

creak; screak; screech; skreak; squeak; whine

Context example:

My car engine makes a whining noise

Hypernyms (to "screech" is one way to...):

make noise; noise; resound (emit a noise)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s

Sentence examples:

Cars screech in the streets
The streets screech with cars

Derivation:

screech; screeching (a high-pitched noise resembling a human cry)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Utter a harsh abrupt scream

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

screak; screech; skreak; skreigh; squawk

Hypernyms (to "screech" is one way to...):

call; cry; holler; hollo; scream; shout; shout out; squall; yell (utter a sudden loud cry)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Derivation:

screech (sharp piercing cry)

screecher (someone who communicates vocally in a very loud voice)

 Context examples 

Mary, one of the tribe of Silva, eight years old, keeping watch, raised a screech at sight of his returning consciousness.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Then ’e pulled ’imself straight, an’ ’e gave the most awful Glory Allelujah screech as ever you ’eard.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

There was a tremendous snarling and spitting and screeching.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

A dismal screech, as of mere animal terror, rang from the cabinet.

(The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

I could not have endured the horrid screeching as the stake drove home; the plunging of writhing form, and lips of bloody foam.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

Even as he spoke, a bullet was deflected by a brass-capped spoke of the wheel between his hands and screeched off through the air to windward.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

As he raised himself to look over the bracken at his enemies, the staring color caught the eye of the bailiff, who broke into a long screeching whoop and spurred forward sword in hand.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

An abnormally shrill or screeching vocalization made by infants that could possibly indicate the presence of one of an array of medical conditions or congenital syndromes, including birth trauma, craniosynostosis, Arnold-Chiari deformity, meningitis, and cri-du-chat syndrome.

(High Pitched Cry, NCI Thesaurus)

Well, it was a kind of screech, sir, and then I ’eard somebody drivin’ very ’ard down the road.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

And if sight alone were not sufficient, the cry of rage the intruder gave, beginning with a snarl and rushing abruptly upward into a hoarse screech, was convincing enough in itself.

(White Fang, by Jack London)