Definition

1. Noun:
   • The quality of being high-pitched and piercing in sound: "Shrillness" refers to the characteristic of a sound that is loud, sharp, and unpleasant to the ear.
   • The quality of being unpleasantly intense, vivid, or strident: "Shrillness" can also describe a non-auditory quality that is excessively sharp, harsh, or grating to the senses, such as a color or an emotional tone.

Examples of Usage

• Noun (Sound):
  • The shrillness of the fire alarm made it impossible to ignore.
  • Her voice rose to a painful shrillness when she argued.
• Noun (Non-Auditory Quality):
  • The critic commented on the shrillness of the political rhetoric.
  • The shrillness of the neon sign clashed with the quiet street.

Advanced Usage

• "with shrillness": used to describe the manner in which something is done or expressed.
  • She protested with a surprising shrillness.
• "a note of shrillness": a trace or element of a sharp, unpleasant quality in speech or writing.
  • His usually calm report contained a note of shrillness this time.

Variants and Related Words

• Shrill (adj): having a high-pitched and piercing sound or quality.
  • a shrill whistle
• Shrill (verb): to make a high-pitched, piercing sound.
  • The cicadas shrilled in the afternoon heat.
• Shrilly (adv): in a high-pitched and piercing manner.
  • She laughed shrilly.

Synonyms

• Stridency: the quality of being loud, harsh, and grating.
• Pitch: the degree of highness or lowness of a sound (specifically when referring to a high pitch).
• Acuteness: sharpness or keenness, often of sound or sensation.
• Harshness: the quality of being unpleasantly rough or jarring.

Antonyms

• Softness: the quality of being gentle, low, or quiet in sound.
• Mellowness: the quality of being soft, rich, and pleasant, especially in sound or color.
• Dulcetness: the quality of being sweet and soothing to the ear.

Related Phrases and Idioms

(Note: "Shrillness" itself is not commonly used in specific idioms. However, it is related to the following expressions involving its adjective form, "shrill.") - To sound/shrill a note of...: to express a particular feeling or warning, often in a forceful or alarming way. - The article sounded a shrill note of alarm about the economy. - Shrill cries of protest: loud, high-pitched, and forceful expressions of objection. - The new policy was met with shrill cries of protest from the community.

Noun

1. having the timbre of a loud high-pitched sound
2. the quality of being sharp or harsh to the senses
   • the shrillness of her hair color