From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishshriekshriek1 /ʃriːk/ ●○○ verb 1 [intransitive]SCREAM to make a very high loud sound, especially because you are afraid, angry, excited, or in pain SYN scream They were dragged from their homes, shrieking and weeping. He shrieked in agony.shriek with A group of students were shrieking with laughter.2 [transitive]SCREAM to say something in a high loud voice because you are excited, afraid, or angry SYN scream ‘I’m pregnant!’ she shrieked.shriek at ‘I’ll kill you!’ Anne shrieked at him.→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
shriek• "Keep away from me!" she shrieked.• Just at that moment, Mahmud started to shriek.• Many times she had to remind herself of her obligation to shriek.• Anne began to shriek and jerked her arm away.• Women shrieked and ran at the sight of pistols, and men turned over tables to hide.• She thought of the noise of the lodging houses with the chorus girls shrieking at each other and larking in the corridors.• The two women shrieked at one another over the noise of the machines.• Bella turned and shrieked his name.• The three of us shrieked hysterically as one lobster tried to crawl his way out up the sides.• The screeching was upstaged by a shrieking siren; the signal to start.• The industry did not shriek too loudly: the strength of demand over the next few years kept everyone reasonably happy.• The children began shrieking with hysterical laughter.shriekshriek2 noun [countable] CSSCREAMa loud high sound made because you are frightened, excited, angry etc SYN screamshriek of a shriek of laughterwith a shriek With a shriek of delight, Jean hugged Maggie.give/let out a shriek Ella let out a piercing shriek.Examples from the Corpus
shriek• A bird woke up in a tree and gave a shriek.• With a shriek of delight, she threw herself into the water.• A shriek, like the tearing of metal train wheels along metal rails, died away.• The screaming and shriek were noises in his head.• Almost before he started speaking they all burst into shrieks of laughter.• I was woken up by a loud shriek from the bathroom.• Then he let out a piercing shriek.• Seconds later, the night was made hideous by the shrieks of alarm from the man-apes in the cave above.• Half way home he heard the shrieks again offshore, but this time the fathers had taken it up, too.• The vehicles pulled over when they heard the shriek of the police siren.shriek of• a shriek of terrorOrigin shriek1 (1400-1500) Probably from a Scandinavian language 