nails on a chalkboard
Infamous irritating sound
Nails on a chalkboard describes a sound that produces an involuntary cringe—the high-pitched scraping of fingernails dragged across a slate surface.
The phrase has become shorthand for anything unbearably grating: Her voice is like nails on a chalkboard.
As chalkboards disappear from classrooms, the expression persists even among those who've never heard the original sound.
- screechHigh, harsh cry
- high pitchedElevated in frequency
- cringeShrink from discomfort
- squealShrill, piercing cry
- shriekShrill, piercing cry
frequency · irritation · aversion · annoyance · repulsion · dissonance · discordant · cacophony · wince · grating · shudder · vibration · scraping · discomfort · sensory overload · agitation · fight or flight · jarring
nails on a chalkboardmelodious
Agreeable in sound
soothing sounds · harmonious · dulcet tones · birdsong · euphonious
nails, nailed, nailing, chalk, chalks, chalked, chalking, chalky, chalkiness