shrill

Word family

Related topics: Textures, sounds

shrill1 /ʃrɪl/ adjectiveadj

1 CSHIGH SOUND OR VOICEa shrill sound is very high and unpleasant 〔声音〕尖锐的，刺耳的

‘That’s not true, ’ she protested in a shrill voice.

“不是这样的。”她尖声抗议道。

a shrill whistle

一声刺耳的哨子声

Fran uttered a shrill scream.

弗兰发出一声尖叫。

► see thesaurus at high

2 UNFAIRshrill complaints, criticism, demands etc are too loud or strong and seem unreasonable 〔投诉、批评、要求等〕尖刻的，无理取闹的

He hated the shrill demands of the children.

他对孩子们吵个不休要这要那感到很讨厌。

—shrillness noun [uncountableU]

—shrilly /ˈʃrɪl-li, ˈʃrɪli/ adverbadv

Examples from the Corpus

shrill• As Sophie became angry her voice got shriller.• His supporters are no less shrill.• The unexpected shrill blast of sound had sent a jolt of adrenaline through me and my heart was pounding.• History will likely dismiss the shrill cries of the last few weeks and remember Dole as a steady voice of moderation.• The media's shrill criticism of Newton has reached a new level.• Does this shrill din really emanate from the top Praga Khan and Jade 4U?• Sylvie burst out in a shrill laugh before leaving the room.• She gave a brief, shrill laugh.• Bates plays Kushnick with shrill, profane gusto, literally scorching the earth with her incendiary lungs.• I was suddenly woken up by the shrill ringing of the telephone.• Mike could hear his aunt's shrill voice downstairs.• He heard what sounded like a stifled cry of pain from a shriller voice; then the commotion beside him resumed once more.• A shrill whistle is blown angrily by a shivering soldier, a sentry at the tomb.• Pushell's voice was shrill with frustration as Blanche led him out.

shrill2 verb

1 [intransitiveI] writtenHIGH SOUND OR VOICE to produce a very high and unpleasant sound 发出尖锐刺耳的声音，尖叫

The telephone shrilled twice.

刺耳的电话铃响了两下。

2 [transitiveT]SAY/STATE to say something in a very high voice 尖声说

‘I hate you!’ she shrilled.

“我恨你！”她尖声叫道。

Examples from the Corpus

shrill• "Stop it!" she shrilled.• The metal detector shrilled as Whitney attempted to walk through.• The sound of the telephone shrilling by the side of her bed brought her gasping back to wakefulness.• It let out that high-pitched whine, that shrill insistent nagging squeal that puts a burglar right off his feed.• The larvae of the cicadas that sit shrilling on trees spend their lives below ground sucking sap from roots.• On the first Saturday of the month Merrill's telephone rang, shrilling through the morning silence and making her jump.• They could not be forced away, but came on in ever greater numbers, shrilling with pain and anger.

shrill1 adjectiveadjshrill2 verb

Chinese

Corpus