shrill
shrill Lexical Profile
shrill Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Having a high-pitched and piercing quality or sound.
"The referee blew a shrill whistle to stop the match immediately."
Loud, forceful, and insistent in expressing opinions or complaints, often in a way that irritates others.
"The editorial was criticized for its shrill and uncompromising tone toward the opposition."
• verb
To make a high-pitched, piercing sound, or to utter something in such a tone.
"Cicadas shrilled continuously in the dry summer heat."
• noun
A high-pitched, piercing sound or cry.
"The sudden shrill of the alarm clock woke everyone in the house."
Word Nuance & Usage
When applied to people or their speech (especially women), 'shrill' carries a strongly pejorative connotation, dismissing the speaker's arguments as overly emotional, strident, or hysterical.
• Rhymes for shrill
Word Origin & Etymology
From Middle English schrille, of Germanic origin and related to Low German schrell ('having a sharp tone or harsh taste'), ultimately of imitative origin.