Scream

Part of speech: verb, noun

Pronunciation: /skɹiːm/

Definitions

1. To utter a loud, high-pitched vocalization often resulting from fear or intense feelings of joy
2. To vocalize in a loud and high-pitched manner, usually driven by emotions like fear, excitement, or joy
3. To emit a sharp, loud cry typically associated with strong emotion or surprise

Etymology: The verb "scream" has a surprisingly close relationship with the idea of frightening someone. Its Middle English ancestor "scremen" was related to Old Norse "skræma", meaning "to terrify" or "to scare", so the cry was originally tied to the terror that prompted it rather than to the sound itself. Scandinavian and Low German languages share the same root, with Swedish "skrämma" and Danish "skræmme" still meaning "to frighten" today. The word seems to have arrived in English through Middle Dutch "scremen", meaning "to yell" or "to shout", and it sits in a family of Germanic words for crying out and weeping, including German "schreien" and Dutch "schreien". Its close relative "shriek" follows a similar path, so the two words are best thought of as sibling forms of one ancient sound-making root.

Synonyms: yell, shout, wail, shriek, holler

Antonyms: whisper, murmur, calm