/ ʃrɪl; NAmE / adjective , verb
■ adjective ( shrill·er , shrill·est )
1.
( of sounds or voices ) very high and loud, in an unpleasant way
SYN piercing :
a shrill voice
2.
loud and determined but often unreasonable :
shrill demands / protests
► shrilly / ˈʃrɪlli; NAmE / adverb
► shrill·ness noun [ U ]
■ verb
1.
[ v ] to make an unpleasant high loud sound :
Behind him, the telephone shrilled.
2.
[ v speech ] to say sth in a loud, high voice
SYN shriek :
'Wait for me!' she shrilled.
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English : of Germanic origin; related to Low German schrell sharp in tone or taste.