screamingn.
/ˈskriːmɪŋ/ The action of scream v.
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > degree, kind, or quality of sound > unpleasant quality > shrill quality > [noun] > shriek, screech, or scream
scritchinga1500
shrikea1500
scream1513
screamingc1540
scrivec1540
shriek1599
screeching1753
skirling1820
screech1821
screel1835
shriekery1865
the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > voice or vocal sound > cry or shout (loudness) > cry of emotion or pain > [noun] > scream or shriek
squealingc1325
skriking1340
shrikingc1374
shritchingc1374
skrikea1400
blaringc1440
shritch1470
scritchinga1500
shrikea1500
screak1513
skirl1513
wauling1533
wrawling1533
screamingc1540
scritch1548
skreighc1550
shright1558
screech1560
screaking1565
screeching1589
shriek1590
shrill1591
shirl1598
shrieking1602
screama1616
squalling1677
squall1709
squeal1747
skelloch1808
skreighing1816
skirling1820
sharming1823
shriekery1865
squee1938
society > leisure > the arts > music > performing music > singing > [noun] > loud harsh singing
yowling1528
screaminga1774
squallery1895
the world > animals > by noises > voice or sound made by animal > [noun] > shriek > shrieking
shrikingc1374
shritchingc1374
scritching1583
screeching1589
screaming1892
c1540 (?a1400) Destr. Troy 10182 The skrew for þe skrykyng & skremyng of folke, Redoundet with dyn drede for to here.
1687 T. Brown Saints in Uproar in Wks. (1730) I. 72 Such roaring and screaming, such swaggering and bouncing.
a1774 A. Tucker Light of Nature Pursued (1777) III. iii. 364 Nor may we pretend to faint away at the screamings of a country Church, because we happen to have a fine ear..for music.
1892 W. E. Henley Song of Sword 9 A noise Of the screaming of eagles.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1911; most recently modified version published online December 2019).
screamingadj.
1.
a. That screams; sounding shrilly.
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > degree, kind, or quality of sound > unpleasant quality > shrill quality > [adjective] > making shrill sound
squealinga1400
shrill1508
pipinga1522
shrilling1566
shrill-bated1582
shirling1592
shrilledc1602
screaming1616
skirling1786
blatting1890
the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > voice or vocal sound > cry or shout (loudness) > cry of emotion or pain > [adjective] > scream or shriek
wrawling1533
shreaming1565
scritching1577
shriking1583
shriekinga1586
screeching1602
screaming1616
in a screek1681
squalling1712
skirling1786
shrieky1848
screecha1854
squally1862
1616 B. Jonson Poëtaster (rev. ed.) To Rdr., in Wks. I. 351 Like so many screaming grasse-hoppers.
1700 J. Dryden tr. G. Boccaccio Theodore & Honoria in Fables 261 And from afar he heard a screaming sound, As of a Dame distress'd, who cry'd for Aid.
1782 W. Cowper Hope in Poems 159 The screaming nations, hov'ring in mid air, Loudly resent the stranger's freedom there.
1892 A. Bierce In Midst of Life 89 Storms of screaming grape, which..splintered the trees.
1896 A. E. Housman Shropshire Lad xxxv. 51 Far the calling bugles hollo, High the screaming fife replies.
b. screaming eagle n. (U.S. slang) = ruptured duck n. 2.
ΘΚΠ
society > armed hostility > military organization > insignia > [noun] > decorations or orders
Order of St Michael1530
Legion of Honour1802
clasp1813
Iron Cross1813
medal1813
star1844
Victoria Cross1856
V.C.1859
Medal of Honour1861
bar1864
yellow jacket1864
V.D.1901
Croix de Guerre1915
Military Cross1915
C.G.M.1916
Military Medal1916
pip1917
M.M.1918
purple heart1918
Maconochie Cross1919
Maconochie Medal1919
wound-stripe1919
T.D.1924
rooty gong1925
Silver Star1932
Ritterkreuz1940
Africa Star1943
ruptured duck1945
Spam medal1945
screaming eagle1946
1946 Newsweek 18 Mar. 34/1 ‘Ruptured duck’: GI for the discharge button which ex-service men wear in their lapels, also, ‘homecoming pigeon’ and ‘screaming eagle’.
1948 A. M. Taylor Lang. World War II 172 Ruptured Duck... Also nicknamed Screaming Eagle.
2. transferred and figurative.
a. Tending to excite screams of laughter; said esp. of a farce.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > pleasure > laughter > causing laughter > [adjective] > causing convulsive laughter
side-splitting1822
convulsing1843
screaming1854
boffo1947
boffola1976
1854 ‘C. Bede’ Further Adventures Mr. Verdant Green (ed. 2) x. 92 It was a situation for a screaming farce.
1873 Hopkins Making Worst of it viii The gorgeous and screaming new and original burlesque drama.
b. Violent or startling in effect; glaring, blatant, obvious.
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > degree, kind, or quality of sound > loudness > [adjective] > too or extremely
roaringOE
violenta1398
vehement1545
fouldering1590
sundering1624
screaming1847
the world > matter > colour > quality of colour > [adjective] > garish
violenta1522
garisha1568
savage1706
raw1763
criard1840
tranchant1841
flagrant1858
blaring1866
criant1876
screamy1882
screaming1883
raucous1919
shrieking1958
shrill1973
the mind > attention and judgement > bad taste > flashiness or gaudiness > [adjective] > glaring
screaming1883
society > communication > indication > pointing out > [adjective] > obvious
brightOE
evidenta1393
legible1593
pointed1768
screaming1976
1847 W. M. Thackeray Vanity Fair (1848) xxi. 184 ‘——!’ burst out his father with a screaming oath.
1883 Harper's Mag. Apr. 700/2 When we..added these startling spots of colour..the effect was rather screaming.
1922 J. Hergesheimer Bright Shawl (1923) 205 The shawl..was malevolent, screaming in color.
1944 ‘G. Orwell’ Coll. Ess., Journalism & Lett. (1968) III. 168 The ‘screaming’ advertisement started some time in the nineteen-twenties.
1963 Australasian Post (Melbourne) 14 Mar. 51/1 I'd be a screaming nong if I didn't recognise you as a creep.
1965 Listener 9 Dec. 941/1 None of..the anarchy of competing posters and screaming shop signs.
1968 Globe & Mail Mag. (Toronto) 13 Jan. 6/3 The commonly held stereotype of a homosexual is called, in gay jargon, a screaming queen.
1972 B. Rodgers Queens' Vernacular 177 Screaming, flagrantly homosexual.
1976 National Observer (U.S.) 25 Sept. 13/1 Such segregation was..a screaming mockery of the Bill of Rights.
1977 New Yorker 15 Aug. 22/1 The News and the Post ran screaming headlines.
1981 Daily Tel. 20 Feb. 17/1 Spring colours are bright pink and screaming green with khaki chino skirts for women and khaki chino trousers for men.
c. slang. First-rate, splendid.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > goodness and badness > quality of being good > excellence > [adjective]
faireOE
bremea1000
goodlyOE
goodfulc1275
noblec1300
pricec1300
specialc1325
gentlec1330
fine?c1335
singulara1340
thrivena1350
thriven and throa1350
gaya1375
properc1380
before-passinga1382
daintiful1393
principala1398
gradelya1400
burlyc1400
daintyc1400
thrivingc1400
voundec1400
virtuousc1425
hathelc1440
curiousc1475
singlerc1500
beautiful1502
rare?a1534
gallant1539
eximious1547
jolly1548
egregious?c1550
jellyc1560
goodlike1562
brawc1565
of worth1576
brave?1577
surprising1580
finger-licking1584
admirablea1586
excellinga1586
ambrosial1598
sublimated1603
excellent1604
valiant1604
fabulous1609
pure1609
starryc1610
topgallant1613
lovely1614
soaringa1616
twanging1616
preclarent1623
primea1637
prestantious1638
splendid1644
sterling1647
licking1648
spankinga1666
rattling1690
tearing1693
famous1695
capital1713
yrare1737
pure and —1742
daisy1757
immense1762
elegant1764
super-extra1774
trimming1778
grand1781
gallows1789
budgeree1793
crack1793
dandy1794
first rate1799
smick-smack1802
severe1805
neat1806
swell1810
stamming1814
divine1818
great1818
slap-up1823
slapping1825
high-grade1826
supernacular1828
heavenly1831
jam-up1832
slick1833
rip-roaring1834
boss1836
lummy1838
flash1840
slap1840
tall1840
high-graded1841
awful1843
way up1843
exalting1844
hot1845
ripsnorting1846
clipping1848
stupendous1848
stunning1849
raving1850
shrewd1851
jammy1853
slashing1854
rip-staving1856
ripping1858
screaming1859
up to dick1863
nifty1865
premier cru1866
slap-bang1866
clinking1868
marvellous1868
rorty1868
terrific1871
spiffing1872
all wool and a yard wide1882
gorgeous1883
nailing1883
stellar1883
gaudy1884
fizzing1885
réussi1885
ding-dong1887
jim-dandy1888
extra-special1889
yum-yum1890
out of sight1891
outasight1893
smooth1893
corking1895
large1895
super1895
hot dog1896
to die for1898
yummy1899
deevy1900
peachy1900
hi1901
v.g.1901
v.h.c.1901
divvy1903
doozy1903
game ball1905
goodo1905
bosker1906
crackerjack1910
smashinga1911
jake1914
keen1914
posh1914
bobby-dazzling1915
juicy1916
pie on1916
jakeloo1919
snodger1919
whizz-bang1920
wicked1920
four-star1921
wow1921
Rolls-Royce1922
whizz-bang1922
wizard1922
barry1923
nummy1923
ripe1923
shrieking1926
crazy1927
righteous1930
marvy1932
cool1933
plenty1933
brahmaa1935
smoking1934
solid1935
mellow1936
groovy1937
tough1937
bottler1938
fantastic1938
readyc1938
ridge1938
super-duper1938
extraordinaire1940
rumpty1940
sharp1940
dodger1941
grouse1941
perfecto1941
pipperoo1945
real gone1946
bosting1947
supersonic1947
whizzo1948
neato1951
peachy-keen1951
ridgey-dite1953
ridgy-didge1953
top1953
whizzing1953
badass1955
wild1955
belting1956
magic1956
bitching1957
swinging1958
ridiculous1959
a treat1959
fab1961
bad-assed1962
uptight1962
diggish1963
cracker1964
marv1964
radical1964
bakgat1965
unreal1965
pearly1966
together1968
safe1970
bad1971
brilliant1971
fabby1971
schmick1972
butt-kicking1973
ripper1973
Tiffany1973
bodacious1976
rad1976
kif1978
awesome1979
death1979
killer1979
fly1980
shiok1980
stonking1980
brill1981
dope1981
to die1982
mint1982
epic1983
kicking1983
fabbo1984
mega1985
ill1986
posho1989
pukka1991
lovely jubbly1992
awesomesauce2001
nang2002
bess2006
amazeballs2009
boasty2009
daebak2009
beaut2013
1859 J. C. Hotten Dict. Slang 87 Screaming, first rate, splendid.
1879 M. E. Braddon Cloven Foot I. vi. 125 ‘Well’, cried the manager, radiant, ‘a screaming success. There's money in it.’
1883 E. Pennell-Elmhirst Cream Leics. 314 The Belvoir have, again, had a screaming run, a brilliant day, and a grand finish.
1897 Badminton Mag. 4 386 The Rioters had come out of the wood on a screaming scent.
d. screaming habdabs, etc.: see habdabs n. screaming meemies, etc.: see meemie n.
3. Combinations, as screaming-scared adj.
ΚΠ
a1963 C. S. Lewis Poems (1964) 106 My body awakes in bed Screaming-scared.
Derivatives
ˈscreamingly adv. esp. in phr. ‘screamingly funny’ (cf. 2a).
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > degree, kind, or quality of sound > unpleasant quality > shrill quality > [adverb] > shriek, screech, or scream
shriekingly1631
screamingly1844
the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > voice or vocal sound > cry or shout (loudness) > cry of emotion or pain > [adverb] > scream or shriek
shriekingly1631
screechingly1833
screamingly1844
shriekily1881
the mind > emotion > pleasure > laughter > causing laughter > [adverb] > so as to cause laughter > so as to cause convulsive laughter
convulsingly1829
screamingly1844
side-splittingly1859
1844 A. W. Kinglake Eothen xvi. 237 The joyous girls will suddenly, and screamingly, and all at once, explain to each other that [etc.].
1879 ‘G. Eliot’ in J. W. Cross George Eliot's Life (1885) III. 368 You would be screamingly amused by one.
1892 Cornhill Mag. Apr. 444 They are screamingly funny.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1911; most recently modified version published online June 2022).
<
n.c1540adj.1616