Nearby Words
adjective
1.
high-pitched and piercing in sound quality: a shrill cry.
2.
producing such a sound.
3.
full of or characterized by such a sound: shrill music.
4.
betraying some strong emotion or attitude in an exaggerated amount, as antagonism or defensiveness.
5.
marked by great intensity; keen: the shrill, incandescent light of the exploding bomb.
verb (used with object), verb (used without object)
6.
to cry shrilly.
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Shrills
is always a great word to know.
So is quincunx. Does it mean:
| an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle. |
| the offspring of a zebra and a donkey. |
noun
7.
a shrill sound.
adverb
8.
in a shrill manner; shrilly.
Origin:
1300–50; Middle English shrille (adj., v.); akin to Old English scrallettan to sound loudly; cognate with German schrill (adj.), schrillen (v.); compare Old Norse skrīll rabble
1300–50; Middle English shrille (adj., v.); akin to Old English scrallettan to sound loudly; cognate with German schrill (adj.), schrillen (v.); compare Old Norse skrīll rabble
Related forms
shrill·ness, noun
shril·ly, adverb
out·shrill, verb (used with object)
un·shrill, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source
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Link To shrills
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
shrill
late 14c., schrylle "high-pitched, piercing" (of the voice), probably related to O.E. scralletan "to sound loudly," of imitative origin (cf. Low Ger. schrell, Ger. schrill "piercing, shrill"). The verb sense of "to sound shrilly" is recorded from c.1300.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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