What does shrill mean?
Word: Shrill
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Shrill means very high-pitched and loud, in a way that is unpleasant to hear.
Synonyms: piercing, high-pitched, sharp
Antonyms: deep, low, soft
Word origin: Comes from Middle English, of Germanic origin; it is related to Low German schrell, 'sharp in tone'.
How do you spell shrill?
Syllables: shrill
Tricky part: It ends in a double l: shril, with one l, is the slip.
Watch out for: shril, shrille
Memory tip: Two l's at the end, like two whistles blown at once: twice as shrill.
Shrill in a sentence
Example 1: Her shrill voice carried right across the playground.
Example 2: A shrill cry from the kitchen told us my aunt had seen a lizard.
Example 3: The pressure cooker gave three shrill whistles.
Fun Fact
The common hawk-cuckoo's shrill call rises higher and higher, again and again, which earned it the nickname brainfever bird in India.
Practise the CREST Way
Jumble Tumble
Choose the correct sequence of the jumbled letters to form a meaningful word:
rlhlis 123456
a) 631524
b) 613524
c) 654321
d) 631254
Show answer
a) 631524. Only one order puts s, h and r together at the front: 6, 3, 1.
Word Champ
Choose the correct word for the blank:
A voice so high and sharp that it almost hurts the ears is a ___ voice.
a) mellow
b) shrill
c) husky
d) hoarse
Show answer
b) shrill. Hoarse and husky voices are rough and low, and a mellow one is soft and warm.
Spell Spies
Choose the pair which has a spelling error:
a) permanent : temporary
b) schrill : deep
c) fertile : barren
d) victory : defeat
Show answer
b) schrill : deep. The pairs are opposites; the high, piercing word opens with shr, with no c.
Sound Check
Which word does not rhyme with shrill?
a) chill
b) still
c) skill
d) smile
Show answer
d) smile. Smile has the long i of mile; still, skill and chill share the short i of the page word.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which sound is shrill?
a) a whistle blown hard
b) a drum beaten softly
c) a tiger's deep growl
d) a cow's low moo
Show answer
a) a whistle blown hard
2. Why do football referees use a whistle with a shrill sound?
a) it can be heard over a noisy crowd
b) it is cheaper than a bell
c) it sounds soft and soothing
d) it plays a short tune
Show answer
a) it can be heard over a noisy crowd
