Definition

Verb: 1. To utter a harsh, abrupt scream: To make a sudden, loud, and unpleasant cry or sound. 2. To make a high-pitched, screeching noise: To produce a shrill, grating sound, often due to friction or strain.

Usage Examples

• Verb (utter a scream):
  • The owl skreaked in the night, startling us.
  • She skreaked in surprise when the lights went out.
• Verb (make a screeching noise):
  • The old gate skreaks on its rusty hinges.
  • The chalk skreaked unpleasantly on the blackboard.

Advanced Usage

• Onomatopoeic Use: The word is often used for its sound, imitating the harsh noise it describes. It is a variant spelling of the more common word .
  • The unoiled wheel gave a loud skreak with every rotation.

Variants and Related Words

• Screak (verb): The more standard spelling with the same meanings.
• Screech (verb/noun): A very close synonym, often used for both sounds and screams.
• Squeak (verb/noun): A similar high-pitched sound, but typically softer, shorter, and less harsh than a .
• Creak (verb/noun): A grating sound, but usually lower in pitch, like that of old wood or metal.

Synonyms

• Screech
• Shriek
• Squeal
• Scream (for the vocal sense)
• Rasp
• Grind (for the mechanical sense)

Related Phrases

• To skreak to a halt: To stop with a loud, harsh, screeching sound.
  • The train skreaked to a halt at the station.

Verb

1. utter a harsh abrupt scream
2. make a high-pitched, screeching noise
   • The door creaked when I opened it slowly
   • My car engine makes a whining noise