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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
There, Garrett screamed at his girlfriend, a guest in a neighboring room would later tell Tricia. Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Mar. 2025 Her six-game outburst in the state preliminaries screamed of consistency, with no score lower than 217 and none higher than 269. Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 4 Mar. 2025
Noun
The team of cosmic homicide detectives determined a strange X-ray signal is the dying scream of a planet destroyed by a superdense stellar corpse called a white dwarf. Robert Lea, Space.com, 5 Mar. 2025 The audience went wild before Cruise hit the stage, filling Harpo Studios in Chicago with deafening screams, applause and even some tears. Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for scream

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Scream.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scream. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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