Pronunciation: /ʃriːk/

Definitions of shriek

noun a loud, sharp, piercing cry

Example Sentences

A1 The little girl let out a loud shriek when she saw a spider.

A2 The sudden shriek of the alarm clock woke me up from my deep sleep.

B1 There was a shriek of excitement from the crowd as the band took the stage.

B2 The shriek of the brakes warned us of the approaching train.

C1 The blood-curdling shriek pierced through the night, sending shivers down our spines.

C2 Her piercing shriek echoed through the empty hallway, causing everyone to freeze in fear.

verb to utter a shriek

Example Sentences

A1 The little girl shrieked with joy when she saw the puppy.

A2 I shrieked in fear when I saw the spider on the wall.

B1 The audience shrieked with excitement as the band took the stage.

B2 She shrieked in horror as the ghost appeared in front of her.

C1 The actress let out a blood-curdling shriek during the intense scene.

C2 The sound of the alarm made everyone in the building shriek in panic.

Examples of shriek in a Sentence

formal The sudden shriek of the alarm startled everyone in the building.

informal I let out a shriek when I saw the spider crawling towards me.

slang She let out a loud shriek when she won the lottery.

figurative The shriek of the wind through the trees sounded like a chorus of ghosts.

Grammatical Forms of shriek

past tense

shrieked

plural

shrieks

comparative

more shrieking

superlative

most shrieking

present tense

shrieks

future tense

will shriek

perfect tense

have shrieked

continuous tense

is shrieking

singular

shriek

positive degree

shriek

infinitive

to shriek

gerund

shrieking

participle

shrieking

Origin and Evolution of shriek

First Known Use: 1250 year
Language of Origin: Old English
Story behind the word: The word 'shriek' originated from the Old English word 'scric', which was derived from the Proto-Germanic word 'skrikan'.
Evolution of the word: Over time, the word 'shriek' has retained its original meaning of a loud, piercing cry or sound, but its usage has expanded to also describe extreme fear, excitement, or pain.