screech

screech — verb

1. to produce a loud, harsh, high-pitched sound that is painful to hear.

1.verbintransitiveB1
Definition

to produce a loud, harsh, high-pitched sound that is painful to hear.

Example

The old bus screeched to a halt just before the traffic light.

collocation: screech to a halt

A monkey screeched from the treetops when it saw Asher below.

animal subject: monkey + treetops

Common collocations
  • screech to a halt
  • screech loudly
  • screech against
  • screech from
Synonyms
  • shriek

    more common for human or animal cries of fear or surprise

  • squeal

    a longer, slightly higher sound, especially of tyres or children playing

  • scream

    a loud, high cry — usually human, and often expressing fear, pain, or excitement rather than a mechanical sound

Antonyms
  • whisper

    a very quiet way of speaking or producing sound

Grammar Patterns

screech + prepositional phrase (to a halt, against, from)

screech + adverb (loudly, horribly)

Usage Note

Commonly describes sounds from vehicles (brakes, tyres), animals (parrots, owls, monkeys), or scraping metal. Not typically used for human singing or pleasant high notes.

Common Mistakes

The singer screeched the high note beautifully.
The singer hit the high note beautifully.
'screech' always describes an unpleasant sound, never a pleasant or skilful one.

2. to say something in a loud, high, harsh voice, usually because of anger, fear, o

2.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to say something in a loud, high, harsh voice, usually because of anger, fear, or excitement.

Example

"Get out of my room!" Ilan screeched at his younger brother.

screech + direct speech + at [person]

Vinícius screeched insults at the referee after the penalty decision.

screech + noun phrase (insults, threats)

Common collocations
  • screech at
  • screech insults
  • screech threats
  • screech with rage
Synonyms
  • shriek

    more focused on fear or surprise than anger; can be a non-verbal cry

  • yell

    loud but not necessarily high-pitched or unpleasant

  • scream

    the most general term for a loud, high cry — can indicate fear, anger, or excitement

Antonyms
  • murmur

    to speak softly and quietly

Grammar Patterns

screech + direct speech ("Get out!")

screech + at + person

screech + that-clause

Usage Note

The speaker's tone is always harsh, high, and unpleasant — never neutral or calm. Commonly used with direct speech inside quotation marks. The object is often an insult, threat, or angry command.

Common Mistakes

She screeched hello to her friend across the street.
She called out or yelled hello to her friend across the street.
'screech' implies anger or fear, not a friendly greeting.

screech — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words describe loud, high-pitched sounds, but they differ in subject and situation. 'Screech' is the most common for mechanical and vehicle sounds — brakes, tyres, metal scraping — as well as for animals like parrots and owls. 'Shriek' is sharper and shorter, typically used for human cries of sudden fear or surprise: someone might shriek when seeing a mouse. 'Squeal' suggests a longer, thinner sound, often from excited children laughing or from tyres sliding on a wet road. 'Scream' is the broadest term, used for human fear, pain, anger, or excitement — a horror movie fan might scream during a jump scare, whereas the same situation would more likely produce a screech from a car's tyres.

screech ↗shrieksqueal ↗scream ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • to a halt
  • with rage
  • in pain

Prepositions

Etymology

Old NorseOld EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'screech' comes from Middle English 'skrechen' (about 1200 AD), which developed from an earlier Old English form related to the Old Norse word 'skrækja' meaning 'to shriek'. Like many words for sounds (crash, buzz, hiss), 'screech' is onomatopoeic — it was created to imitate the very noise it describes. Over time, the meaning broadened from animal and human cries to include the harsh sounds of machines, vehicles, and metal objects.