shrill
Sharp and grating
Shrill describes a sound that is high-pitched and piercing, often unpleasantly so: a shrill whistle, shrill laughter.
The word extends to voices raised in agitation or protest: shrill accusations, shrill demands.
When applied to a person, especially a woman, shrill carries sexist overtones—suggesting her tone is hysterical rather than forceful.
Penetrating or very sharp
- earsplittingExtremely, painfully loud
- sharpFine-edged, or astute
- squeakyHigh-pitched and grating
- trebleHigh frequency range
soprano · falsetto · piccolo · flute · whistle · screech · squeal · squeak
Shrill, piercing cry
Crossed bars or harsh
- jarringDisturbingly incongruous
- discordantLacking musical agreement
- cacophonousHarsh and jarring
- raucousLoud and disorderly
dissonant · blaring · clamorous · clashing · abrasive · unpleasant · rasping · gratingly
Harsh and piercing
- insistentFirmly demanding attention
- demandingRequiring great effort
- shrewIll-tempered woman, or insectivore
- naggingPersistent bothering or complaining
complaining · hectoring · vociferous · clamoring · harping · scolding · haranguing · berating
piercing
Penetrating or very sharp
- earsplittingExtremely, painfully loud
- sharpFine-edged, or astute
- squeakyHigh-pitched and grating
treble · soprano · falsetto · piccolo · flute · whistle · screech · squeal · squeak · sibilant
shriek
Shrill, piercing cry
squawk · wail · cry · howl · yell · yelp · caterwaul · keen · yowl · bellow
grating
Crossed bars or harsh
- jarringDisturbingly incongruous
- discordantLacking musical agreement
- cacophonousHarsh and jarring
raucous · dissonant · blaring · clamorous · clashing · abrasive · unpleasant · rasping · gratingly · inharmonious
strident
Harsh and piercing
- insistentFirmly demanding attention
- demandingRequiring great effort
- shrewIll-tempered woman, or insectivore
nagging · complaining · hectoring · vociferous · clamoring · harping · scolding · haranguing · berating · carping
siren
Wailing alert device
klaxon · alert · warning · signal · emergency · horn · beep · smoke detector · car alarm · air raid
- soundsound, sound waves, echoes, acoustics, vibrations
- high-pitched soundssqueak, squeal, shriek, screech, piercing
- loud soundsloud, scream, yell, thunderous, screaming
- Sensory Wordssight, sound, smell, taste, touch
- sound qualitiesloudness, pitch, tone, faintness, clarity
- speech qualitiesarticulate, clear, loud, soft, quiet
- shrill soundHarsh high-frequency noise
shrilly, shrilled, shrilling, shrills, shrillness, shriller, shrillest