as in vocal
sounding harsh, forceful, and unpleasant
They heard their boss's strident voice from down the hall. The critical questions began to anger the professor and the tone of her answers became noticeably more strident.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of strident
Drayton Farley’s latest record may throw some of his most strident fans for a loop.
—
Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 27 Mar. 2026
Virginia Tech likes to muddy games around strident defense and inside action.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2026
Democrats’ Congressional leadership has been particularly strident in their opposition.
—Douglas Schoen, Oc Register, 9 Mar. 2026
The dispensing of moral instruction is an often tiresome staple of child-friendly animation, but the lessons that Mabel must learn—to be less impulsive, less strident, and more willing to see the good in others—also turn out to be shrewd organizational and negotiating tactics.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for strident
Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 27 Mar. 2026
Virginia Tech likes to muddy games around strident defense and inside action.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2026
Democrats’ Congressional leadership has been particularly strident in their opposition.
—Douglas Schoen, Oc Register, 9 Mar. 2026
The dispensing of moral instruction is an often tiresome staple of child-friendly animation, but the lessons that Mabel must learn—to be less impulsive, less strident, and more willing to see the good in others—also turn out to be shrewd organizational and negotiating tactics.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for strident
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strident
Adjective
-
Seth and Lauren, who have been married since 2011, have been vocal about their personal experiences with Alzheimer's disease.—
Jack Smart,
PEOPLE,
19 May 2026
-
The two challengers are left-leaning and vocal about trying to balance the state Supreme Court ideologically.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
18 May 2026
Adjective
-
Another candidate was an outspoken opponent, contending that the project was a sop to developers.—
Jason Zengerle,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
The Lakers executive’s contribution signals growing Hollywood interest in Pratt’s outsider candidacy, which has gained momentum following his outspoken criticism of city leadership after the 2025 Palisades fires.—
Janelle Ash,
FOXNews.com,
18 May 2026
Adjective
-
Remember that’s with a couple of wars going on and a bunch of noisy macros.—
Evan Clark,
Footwear News,
20 May 2026
-
In a market this noisy, the founders who win are not the ones who react to every new model release or competitor announcement.—
Harlem Capital,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
Adjective
-
There was more screaming and yelling for people who wanted to get a ventilator available in their home.—
Chris Lee,
Vulture,
16 Feb. 2021
Adjective
-
The rogues’ gallery of killers released by the Parole Board came with rap sheets often marked by blatant disregard for human life.—
Boston Herald editorial staff,
Boston Herald,
15 May 2026
-
Once beloved, Miasma fell from grace over the years thanks to a series of shitty sequels plus later generations’ reappraisal of the films’ blatant misogyny and transphobia.—
Rachel Handler,
Vulture,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Strident.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strident. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
