MEANING
to make a loud, high, harsh sound
Use it for
Words that belong together
- brakes screech
- screech in alarm
- screech overhead
On the page
The brakes screeched at the bend.
A bird screeched from the rafters.
She screeched when the hand closed around her ankle.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- screech / screeches
- Past tense
- screeched
- Past participle
- screeched
- Present participle
- screeching
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- screech / screeches
- Present continuous
- am/is/are screeching
- Present perfect
- have/has screeched
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been screeching
- Past
- screeched
- Past continuous
- was/were screeching
- Past perfect
- had screeched
- Past perfect continuous
- had been screeching
- Future
- will screech / screeches
- Future continuous
- will be screeching
- Future perfect
- will have screeched
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been screeching
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
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Usage notes
Primary curation section: Horror. Applies to voices, birds, brakes, and other sources. Strong acoustic intensity, not necessarily fear. screech; screeches; screeched; screeched; screeching. Noun: screech; plural screeches.
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