screech

Everyday

1. To screech is to make a very loud, high, harsh sound, like a scared bird or a person screaming. tree →
2. When tyres or brakes screech, they make a sharp, scraping noise as a car stops suddenly. tree →
3. A screech is one such loud, high, unpleasant sound. tree →
4. «Screech to a halt» means to stop very suddenly, often with that noise. tree →

In the lessons

In stories «screech» tells the reader something sudden, scary or out of control: an owl in the night, brakes before a crash, a frightened person. In road safety, screeching brakes warn that a car is stopping hard. A barn owl is also called a screech owl in some places. Common phrases: «screech to a halt», «let out a screech».

Examples

• The owl screeched in the dark wood. tree →
• The car screeched to a halt at the crossing. tree →
• My little sister screeched when she saw the spider. tree →
• We heard the screech of brakes outside school. tree →
• The chalk made a horrible screech on the board. tree →
• Parrots screech when they are excited. tree →
• The train screeched into the station. tree →
• She let out a screech of laughter. tree →
• Peter thimbled her, and almost immediately she screeched. “What is it, Wendy?” tree →

Note

Regular verb: screeched. Close in meaning to «shriek» and «scream», but «screech» is harsher and more like a scraping noise; machines and birds screech, people shriek or scream more often. «Screech» can be noun or verb.