SHRILL

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does shrill mean? 

• SHRILL (adjective)
  The adjective SHRILL has 3 senses:

1. having or emitting a high-pitched and sharp tone or tones

2. being sharply insistent on being heard

3. of colors that are bright and gaudy

  Familiarity information: SHRILL used as an adjective is uncommon.

• SHRILL (verb)
  The verb SHRILL has 1 sense:

1. utter a shrill cry

  Familiarity information: SHRILL used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SHRILL (adjective)

Comparative: shriller   
Superlative: shrillest   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Having or emitting a high-pitched and sharp tone or tones

Synonyms:

sharp; shrill

Context example:

a shrill gaiety

Similar:

high; high-pitched (used of sounds and voices; high in pitch or frequency)

Derivation:

shrillness (having the timbre of a loud high-pitched sound)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Being sharply insistent on being heard

Synonyms:

shrill; strident

Context example:

shrill criticism

Similar:

imperative (requiring attention or action)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Of colors that are bright and gaudy

Context example:

a shrill turquoise

Similar:

colorful; colourful (having much or varied color)

Derivation:

shrillness (the quality of being sharp or harsh to the senses)

• SHRILL (verb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Utter a shrill cry

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

pipe; pipe up; shriek; shrill

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

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

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "shrill"):

caterwaul; yowl (utter shrieks, as of cats)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s that CLAUSE

Sentence examples:

The birds shrill in the woods
The woods shrill with many kinds of birds

Derivation:

shrilling (a continuing shrill noise)

 Context examples 

A wild shrill clamor rose from the edge of the wood and suddenly a body of ape-men rushed out with clubs and stones, and made for the center of the Indian line.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

A shrill and minute singing stole upon his hearing.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

We could hear the crack of the whip in front of us, and the shrill voice of Lady Lade as she screamed to the horses.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

We must both have cried out aloud when our eyes met, but while mine was the shrill cry of terror, his was a roar of fury like a charging bully's.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

Ah! He drew in his breath with a shrill, excited intake.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

"We will!" cried all the mice, in a shrill chorus.

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

High above the roar of the wind and the clash of the sea rose the shrill half-human cries of the horses, as they found the water rising rapidly around them.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

As soon as the dwarf had recovered from his first fright he cried with his shrill voice: Could you not have done it more carefully!

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

Then, taking his little silver whistle from his pocket, he blew a low, shrill call.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

His voice was shrill, but very clear and articulate; and I could distinctly hear it when I stood up.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)