Squeaked

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Emitted a brief, high-pitched noise often sharp or shrill
2. Produced a quick, sharp sound usually of a high frequency
3. Gave out a short, piercing sound that is typically high in pitch

Etymology: "Squeaked" is the past tense and past participle of "squeak," so its story is really the story of the verb. "Squeak" appears in Middle English in the late 1300s, and it is generally thought to be imitative: the sound it names is the shrill, thin noise itself, shaped by the mouth and throat much as the word is spoken. Its close relatives in other Germanic languages follow the same pattern, which suggests the sound came first and the word was built to match it. Over time the verb settled into its modern senses. A squeak can be the high noise of a hinge or a shoe on a polished floor, or a small, thin voice that barely gets out. The past tense "squeaked" carries the same meanings, and it is most often used for a single brief, sharp sound, as in a door that squeaked open.

Synonyms: squealed, squeezed, whined, chirped, grunted

Antonyms: silenced, muffled, quieted, calmed, stilled