screeched

Made piercing sound

Screeched is the past tense of screech, meaning to make a harsh, high-pitched sound.

Tires screech when braking hard, birds screech in alarm, and people screech in fear or excitement: She screeched when she saw the spider.

The word captures sounds that are sharp, grating, and unpleasant to the ear.

speech

shrieked

Cried out sharply

shouted · bellowed · hollered · wailed · cried · exclaimed · howled · roared · snarled · hissed

Opposites
volume/intensity of vocalization

screechedwhispered

Spoke without full voice

murmured · mumbled · purred · cooed · crooned

MOVEMENT SOUND (for vehicles/objects)

screechedglided

Moved without apparent effort

coasted · slid · cruised · drifted · floated

Phrases
Family

screech, screeching, screechy, screeches, screecher, screechers

Familiarity
Top 20,000
Profile
Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Negative · Everyday, not technical · Rated G