scream

1 of 2

verb

screamed; screaming; screams

intransitive verb

1
a(1)
: to voice a sudden sharp loud cry
(2)
: to produce harsh high tones
b
: to make a noise resembling a scream
the siren screamed
c
: to move with great rapidity
2
a
: to speak or write with intense or hysterical emotion
b
: to protest, demand, or complain vehemently
c
: to laugh hysterically
3
: to produce a vivid startling effect

transitive verb

1
: to utter with or as if with a scream
"Use your mirror!" screamed her petrified bodyguard …Alan Coren
Fans in the mosh pit shook their fists and screamed her lyrics in unison.Neal Karlen
2
: to call (something) to mind very strongly and clearly
They may be a pain to carve, but few things scream Halloween quite like the iconic jack o'lantern.Matt Juul
There's something about Jane Austen novels, and especially Pride & Prejudice, that just screams fall reading to me.Kerry Jarema

scream

2 of 2

noun

1
: a loud sharp penetrating cry or noise
2
: a very funny person or thing

Examples of scream in a Sentence

Verb She screamed when the door suddenly slammed shut. This is so irritating I could scream. The crowd screamed with excitement. He was dragged, kicking and screaming, from the room. He screamed at her to stop. Sirens were screaming in the distance. Police cars screamed down the street. Newspaper headlines screamed about the spike in crime. Noun She let out a piercing scream. that new comedy is a scream
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
And so when Lincoln walked into the theater, the audience of 1,500 people screamed and cheered him. Chris Klimek, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Mar. 2024 Mack used his heavy glove to dispatch an approaching, screaming Trad Red, swinging a trio of Jeep Box tail lights by their wires like a flail, while the Constable hacked away at a shrieking Ambear, and Clamworth beat a path through the crowd with the heavy bench lamps. Quartz Staff, Quartz, 19 Mar. 2024 These block heel sandals from Sam Edelman practically scream spring. Lane Nieset, Travel + Leisure, 18 Mar. 2024 Once a hubbub of screaming floor brokers and countless sheets of paper strewn on the ground, much of the trading is now electronic in NYSE’s hybrid market. Krystal Hur, CNN, 16 Mar. 2024 But cellphone video of the episode that captured the minutes leading up to the shooting shows the eventual victim screaming threats and racist remarks at the second man. Hurubie Meko, New York Times, 15 Mar. 2024 Then the jocular Schneider was replaced by a screaming tyrant. Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2024 And scream Lewis wanted to, especially when Laurie shined a flashlight down at her and spotted a Cape buffalo 10-foot. Dave Quinn, Peoplemag, 12 Mar. 2024 With a capsule wardrobe, details are everything, and nothing screams sleek and put together more than a matching, high-quality pair of socks to go with your outfit. Alexandra Domrongchai, Travel + Leisure, 8 Mar. 2024
Noun
Rather, the audience hears distant screams and gunshots coming from inside the camp, as the family eats dinner, plays in the pool and tends to their garden. Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2024 The episode opened with Jasmine’s screams being heard across the studio after Gino’s wild Bachelor party footage aired last week. Kelly Wynne, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024 Ferrera, McKinnon and Kimmel all follow with their own screams. Zack Sharf, Variety, 13 Feb. 2024 Following the emotional rendition, the music duo got a standing ovation from the crowd, with screams from Barbie collaborators Kate McKinnon and Ariana Grande. Carly Thomas, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2024 In the medical tent next to the coliseum, the doctors and nurses hear the screams as the young man is flipped by the bull. Toby Muse, Rolling Stone, 3 Mar. 2024 Trending on Billboard The screams become truly deafening when, roughly 10 minutes later, the curtain opens to reveal the diminutive 55-year-old Australian pop star clad entirely in metallic gold. Rebecca Milzoff, Billboard, 29 Feb. 2024 Every spring morning here, Camelback Ranch is startled with screams that seem to come from nowhere. Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2024 During the latest episode of the New Heights podcast, tiny screams could be heard ringing out from the background as the Philadelphia Eagles center, 36, and Super Bowl-winning brother Travis Kelcerecapped the big game. Angela Andaloro, Peoplemag, 14 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'scream.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English scremen; akin to Middle Dutch schreem scream

First Known Use

Verb

12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a(1)

Noun

1605, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of scream was in the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near scream

Cite this Entry

“Scream.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scream. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

scream

1 of 2 verb
1
: to cry out, sound, or utter loudly and shrilly
2
: to move with great speed
3
a
: to produce or give a vivid, startling, or alarming effect or expression
b
: to protest, demand, or complain forcefully
screamer noun

scream

2 of 2 noun
1
: a loud shrill long cry or noise
screams of terror
2
: a very funny person or thing

More from Merriam-Webster on scream

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