What does shrieked mean?
“Shrieked” is the past tense and past participle of “shriek,” a verb meaning to make a sudden, high-pitched, piercing cry. The sound is usually associated with strong emotion such as fear, pain, surprise, anger, or excitement, and it often has an abrupt, startling quality. In everyday use, “shrieked” suggests that someone cried out involuntarily or intensely, though it can also describe a deliberately theatrical response. The word is common in British and American English and appears in both narrative writing and direct speech. It differs from the broader “screamed” because a shriek specifically implies a sharp, high-pitched sound, while a scream may be louder, deeper, or simply more general. Familiar expressions include “give a shriek,” “a piercing shriek,” and “shriek with fear.”
verb (past tense and past participle)To make a high-pitched, piercing cry, usually from fear, pain, surprise, or intense excitement. “Shrieked” is the past tense and past participle of “shriek.”
- To utter a high-pitched, piercing cry, especially because of fear, pain, surprise, or excitement.
"She shrieked when the thunderbolt struck the empty street."
"The child shrieked and ran behind his mother when the dog lunged forward."
"The crowd shrieked with delight as the champion entered the stadium."
A shriek cuts through noise with startling clarity: it is the vocal equivalent of a flash of lightning.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does shrieked come from?
The word comes from the Middle English form “shriken” or “shryken,” which is related to older forms in Germanic languages. Its precise medieval development is less certain, but the word has long conveyed a high-pitched cry associated with terror or distress. Modern English retains both the base verb “shriek” and its inflected forms, including the past tense and past participle “shrieked.”
Related word forms
How shrieked is actually used
The word is strongly expressive and commonly describes an abrupt, emotionally intense cry. It is common in both formal and informal English, though “shriek” can sound slightly dramatic or literary in some contexts.
Easily confused with shrieked
A scream can be any loud cry, whereas a shriek is specifically a high-pitched, piercing cry, often expressing sudden fear, pain, or shock.