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screechy

screechy

2 5.4
A high, harsh, unpleasant sound like a loud scream
  • adjective
  • /ˈskriːtʃi/
translation icon : chirriante
  • I just can't listen to her whiny, screechy voice anymore.
  • screechy voice
  • screechy tone
  • screechy music

They give people headaches or they're too screechy or they're too loud.

Examples

  • She clicked on the necessary commands to start America Online and jerked slightly as the screechy modem kicked in.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • She let out a screechy scream when the roller coaster took a sudden drop.

  • Their calls were wild and screechy, and he thought,

    Fiction book (1994)
  • "I didn't do anything!" I heard my voice become a whine, all screechy and cracked.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • He spoke his columns out loud as he wrote them, adopting a screechy politician's tone.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • After ten years, Roberta, I can't imagine walking through those hallways and not hearing that off-key, screechy, scratchy, nails-on-the-blackboard violin music.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • The car came to a screechy stop as the driver slammed on the brakes.

  • The old door creaked and made a screechy noise as it opened.

Synonyms

squeaky
vsscreechy
67 1.3

Making a high, sharp sound like a mouse or hinge

is comparable but tends to feel louder and more unpleasantly harsh
scratchy
vsscreechy
14 3.7

Harsh, rough sound or voice that is unpleasant to hear

is similar but usually higher in pitch and more piercing
cacophonous
vsscreechy
2 8.4

Making a loud, harsh noise that is unpleasant to hear

is more specific to a single high, screamlike or rusty hinge sound
screamy
vsscreechy
1 8.2

Very loud and high in sound like a scream

is similar but also applies to harsh rusty hinge or metal sounds
shrieky
vsscreechy
1 7.2

Making a very high, loud, annoying sound that hurts your ears

is like that but also covers broader harsh hinge or creak sounds
squealing
vsscreechy
1 4.1

A high, sharp sound made by a mouse or brakes

is similar but can be harsher and more grating than a squeal
squawky
vsscreechy
1 7.5

A loud harsh sound like a bird's cry that is unpleasant

shares harshness but is typically higher pitched and more piercing
cacophonic
vsscreechy
1 9.3

Has a loud, harsh sound that is unpleasant

is narrower, emphasizing a single high, piercing and unpleasant pitch
screaky
vsscreechy
6.6

A high, thin sound a door or floor makes when moving

is like that but often sounds harsher and more screamlike
squeaking
vsscreechy
3.1

A high, short sound like a mouse or a door hinge

is broader, including louder sustained harsh sounds as well
stridulous
vsscreechy
9.9

Making a loud, harsh, grating sound like some insects make

is closer to very high, screamlike pitch rather than only grating noise
cackly
vsscreechy
8.7

A harsh, high laugh that sounds like a hen

is like that but focuses more on a single high pitched cry

Antonyms

7 4.0

Has a pleasant, musical sound

How Harsh

piercing
2 5.5
screechy
2 5.4
shrill
31 4.8
sharp
18 3.2
soft
  • Specialized
12 4.2

Surface Forms

screechy positive

Morphology

screechy = screech (transparent) = screech + y

Standard adjectival formation from the noun/verb 'screech' with meaning 'having or producing a screech', which is directly inferable.

Etymology

Screechy comes from the sound word screech, which is a sharp, high 'scream', plus the ending -y meaning 'full of'. So screechy describes a sound that is loud, high and unpleasant, like a rusty door or a very upset voice.