Shrill
/ʃrɪl/noun
High-pitched and sharp in sound, often unpleasant or piercing.
Did you know?English shrill is probably related to Old English scralle, meaning a harsh cry or shriek, and it preserves the ancient idea that sound could physically cut through the air.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*skrailjaną
“to cry out sharply, scream”
Old English
OE
scralle
“a harsh cry or shriek”
Middle English
ME
shrillen
“to make a sharp, piercing sound”
14th Century
English
shrill
“high-pitched, piercing, or sharp in tone”
Modern English
English
shrill
“high-pitched and unpleasantly sharp in sound”