screechscreech /skriːtʃ/ ●○○ verb 
‘Look out!’ she screeched. They screeched with laughter.screech at She screeched at me to take off my muddy shoes.2[intransitive] if a vehicle screeches, its wheels make a high unpleasant noise as it moves along or stops: A van screeched onto the road in front of me. The car screeched to a halt.► see thesaurus at sound—screech noun [countable]: a screech of laughter the screech of tyres
WORD ORIGINscreech
Origin:
1500-1600 scritch ‘to screech’ (13-20 centuries), from the soundVERB TABLE
screech
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | screech |
| he, she, it | screeches | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | screeched |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have screeched |
| he, she, it | has screeched | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had screeched |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will screech |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have screeched |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am screeching |
| he, she, it | is screeching | |
| you, we, they | are screeching | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was screeching |
| you, we, they | were screeching | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been screeching |
| he, she, it | has been screeching | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been screeching |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be screeching |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been screeching |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- ""Get out!'' she screeched angrily. ""I hate you!''
- screeching brakes
- I heard Heather screech, "Hit him, Jim!"
- Maria suddenly started screeching at Bruno.
- Sue grabbed him, screeching, and started hitting him with her fists.
- The plane's tires screeched as it touched down on the runway.
- The train screeched as it pulled into the station.
- A gull screeched overhead breaking the dreamy silence, and Julie's eyes flicked open.
- At intervals while we were negotiating with him, he screeched his battle songs and war cries.
- He jumped to his feet, screeching, when Delia Sutherland's shadow fell across him.
- Miss Defy screeched around a blind bend into the path of an oncoming sedan.
- Surface, and the sky is blue and seagulls screech.
- The wheels of wagons delivering feed or wood screeched as though they hurt.
- They posed holding hands for photographers before turning back to the screeching fans and signing yet more autographs.
THESAURUSa high sound
a very short high sound or cry: · I heard the squeak of his shoes on the tiled floor.· Annie gave a squeak of surprise.
a long high sound that something makes when someone opens it, walks on it, sits on it etc – used especially about a door, wooden floor, bed, or stairs: · the creak of floorboards· The door opened with a creak.
a loud, long, unpleasantly high sound – used especially about someone’s voice, or about brakes, tyres etc: · There was a screech of tyres followed by a bang.· She let out a screech of horror.
(also bleep British English) a high electronic sound that a machine sends out, especially in order to attract someone’s attention: · You’ll hear a bleep when the photocopier’s finished printing.
Longman Language Activatorto scream to make a loud, high noise, or say something in a loud, high voice, because you are excited, frightened, angry, or in pain: · Everyone panicked, and people started screaming.· "Go away!" she screamedscream at: · Sammy screamed at me to stay back.scream for: · The boy screamed for help.scream with pain/delight/terror etc: · She woke up screaming with terror.
to make a sudden short screaming sound or shout something because you are very frightened, excited etc: · Bella turned and shrieked his name.· "Keep away from me!" she shrieked.shriek with excitement/laughter/fear etc: · The children began shrieking with hysterical laughter.shriek at: · The two women shrieked at one another over the noise of the machines.
to make long, high unpleasant sounds or shout something in an unpleasantly loud, high voice, especially because you are angry: · Sue grabbed him, screeching, and started hitting him with her fists.· "Get out!'' she screeched angrily. "I hate you!''screech at: · Maria suddenly started screeching at Bruno.
to make a sudden very high screaming sound, because you are excited, amused, frightened, or in pain: · The children squealed and fought among themselves.· "Don't you dare!'' Bobby squealed.squeal with excitement/laughter/delight/pain etc: · The boy squealed with pain and surprise.· They all tumbled into the water, squealing with delight.
to give a short cry because you have just been hurt: · The boy grinned, and then yelped as someone hit him in the back.· Sophie yelped with pain and dropped the pan.
to scream or shriek suddenly: let out a scream/shriek of: · Karen let out a scream of terror, as if she had seen a ghost.· The children ran down the hill, letting out shrieks of delight.
to make a high sound if something creaks , especially something wooden such as a door, bed, or stair, it makes a long, high noise when someone puts pressure on it: · In the hall the floorboards creaked and the walls were damp.creak open: · The key clicked inside the lock and the door creaked open.
if something squeaks , it makes a very high noise as it is moved, pushed etc, especially because two parts of it cannot rub smoothly together: · His chair squeaked loudly as he swivelled round to face me.· The rubber soles of my shoes squeaked on the shiny floor.
to make a loud, long, unpleasant high sound, like the sound made by car tyres when the car stops suddenly: · The train screeched as it pulled into the station.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY They screeched with laughter. The car screeched to a halt.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
1[intransitive, transitive] to shout loudly in an unpleasant high voice because you are angry, afraid, or excited SYN shriek, scream: They screeched with laughter. The car screeched to a halt. (=make a high noise when you use them)· The brakes screeched and the train finally stopped.
(=the loud unpleasant sound of a car stopping suddenly)· I heard the screech of brakes in the road outside.
(=a vehicle stops very quickly and noisily – used for emphasis)· The car skidded to a halt and three men jumped out.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN· She slammed the garage door into its slot and sent the car screeching into the road.· The car screeched around the corner after him in a burst of fumes and querulous voices.· Ron had pounced from his car, screeching to a halt ten yards ahead of them.· She was walking with a friend, when she heard a car screech to a halt behind her.· We sped from the car park undetected and screeched to a halt outside the flower shop, as instructed.
· A police car emerged from the other alleyway and screeched to a halt ten yards in front of Whitlock, blocking his shot.· When he went to a doctor, he was diagnosed with leukemia, and everything came to a screeching halt.· Ron had pounced from his car, screeching to a halt ten yards ahead of them.· All of which comes to a screeching halt when Capt.· Not ten minutes had elapsed when the first van arrived and not eleven when the second screeched to a halt.· He was on his second initiation raid when Geronimo was captured and it all came to a screeching halt.· She was walking with a friend, when she heard a car screech to a halt behind her.· The driver slammed on the brakes; the Jeep screeched to a halt.
VERB· It came screeching out of the darkness, and not even the thunder could drown the scream of its menace.· It came screeching and nose-diving to a stop on the far corner.· When he went to a doctor, he was diagnosed with leukemia, and everything came to a screeching halt.· All of which comes to a screeching halt when Capt.· He was on his second initiation raid when Geronimo was captured and it all came to a screeching halt.
‘Look out!’ she screeched. They screeched with laughter.screech at She screeched at me to take off my muddy shoes.2[intransitive] if a vehicle screeches, its wheels make a high unpleasant noise as it moves along or stops: A van screeched onto the road in front of me. The car screeched to a halt.► see thesaurus at sound—screech noun [countable]: a screech of laughter the screech of tyres