What does shrillness mean?
Shrillness is the noun form of 'shrill' and describes the harsh, high-pitched, piercing quality of a sound or voice. It can refer literally to a particularly sharp sound, as in the shrillness of a whistle, or figuratively to a forceful, insistent, and sometimes irritating manner of speaking. The word is usually more evaluative than neutral: calling something shrill suggests that it is uncomfortably loud or abrasive. Although it can be used with a count noun in unusual contexts, 'shrillness' is normally treated as an uncountable quality rather than a countable object. It is useful when the focus is on the character of a sound rather than simply saying that it is loud.
nounThe quality of being shrill, especially a harsh, high-pitched, or piercing quality of sound. It can also refer to an aggressively loud or insistent manner of speaking.
- The quality of a sound being high-pitched, harsh, or piercing.
- An aggressively loud or insistent quality, especially in a voice or way of speaking.
"The shrillness of the alarm made everyone in the room jump."
"Her shrill voice carried across the crowded hall."
"He disliked the shrillness of the emergency announcements."
Rare; in standard modern usage, 'shrillness' is generally uncountable.
"The composer contrasted the soft bell tones with the sudden shrillnesses of the strings."
Shrillness names the moment a sound becomes so sharp and piercing that it demands attention.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does shrillness come from?
The word is a Middle English formation combining the adjective 'shrill' with the productive suffix '-ness', which creates nouns expressing a quality or state. The adjective 'shrill' has Middle English roots and is associated with making or being a piercing, high-pitched sound. The formation follows the ordinary English pattern in which '-ness' turns an adjective into a noun naming its characteristic quality.
Related word forms
How shrillness is actually used
Generally used descriptively and often conveys an unpleasant or intrusive quality. It is less common than the adjective 'shrill' and is usually uncountable in modern usage.