shrilly
In piercing tones
Shrilly describes sounds made in a high-pitched, piercing way: She called shrilly across the playground.
The adverb typically suggests unpleasant intensity—a voice that cuts through other noise but grates on the ear.
The alarm shrilled uses the related verb shrill.
High, harsh cry
- squealShrill, piercing cry
- whistleShrill air-blown sounder
- squawkHarsh grating bird cry
- wailProlonged mournful cry
yelp · howl · screaming · screeching · squawking · blare · yowl · caterwaul
Penetrating or very sharp
- harshUnpleasantly severe or rough
- gratingCrossed bars or harsh
- earsplittingExtremely, painfully loud
- jarringDisturbingly incongruous
strident · discordant · cacophonous · raucous · abrasive · sharpness · dissonant · rasping
screech
High, harsh cry
wail · yelp · howl · screaming · screeching · squawking · blare · yowl · caterwaul · falsetto
piercing
Penetrating or very sharp
- harshUnpleasantly severe or rough
- gratingCrossed bars or harsh
- earsplittingExtremely, painfully loud
jarring · strident · discordant · cacophonous · raucous · abrasive · sharpness · dissonant · rasping · deafening
siren
Wailing alert device
horn · bell · signal · emergency · danger · caution · evacuation · detector · announcement · broadcast
protest
Public expression of disapproval
- complainExpress discontent verbally
- demandForceful request or requirement
- insistentFirmly demanding attention
hysterical · exclaim · cry · call · urgent · panicked · frantic · hectoring · nagging · scolding
shrillydeeply
To a profound extent
resonantly · rumbly · gutturally · boomingly · lowly
shrillysmoothly
Without friction or difficulty
mellowly · melodiously · soothingly · dulcetly · warmly
- shrill soundHarsh high-frequency noise
shrill, shrilled, shrilling, shrills, shrillness, shriller, shrillest