rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryscreechHarsh high-pitched sound
noun / verb

screech

SKREECH/skriːtʃ/

A harsh, high-pitched sound or the act of making it.

The cockatoo gives a harsh screech with its beak wide open.

A sulphur-crested cockatoo perched on a short bare branch gives a harsh, high-pitched screech, its beak wide open and crest raised.
Etymology
screechMiddle Englishto cry out shrilly

Middle English schrichen described a sharp, shrill cry and was probably ultimately imitative. That vocal sound-image also applies to the harsh, grating squeal of wheels or hinges.

In context

Storytime Haven160:14
get her her pipe and stop her ill-omened mouth,” cried an Oorya, tying up his shapeless bundles of bedding. “She and the parrots are alike. They screech in the dawn.
Kim by Rudyard Kipling 📚✨ | A Tale of Adventure and Espionage in India

More examples

  • A sudden screech from the microphone makes everyone wince.
  • The parrot screeches whenever someone rings the doorbell.
  • The tires screeched as the car rounded the corner.

Forms

screech · screeches · screeched · screeching

Similar words

shriek
Usually emphasizes a piercing cry rather than a grating noise.
squeal
Emphasizes a prolonged, high-pitched sound, not necessarily a harsh one.
squeak
Usually suggests a shorter, thinner, less forceful sound.