scream

scream

I

scream¹ S3 /skriːm/ verb
1. [intransitive] to make a loud high noise with your voice because you are hurt, frightened, excited etc
   SYN  shriek:
    After the first few shots, people started screaming.
    a screaming baby
    scream with/in
    She jumped to her feet, screaming in terror.
    The children were screaming with laughter.
    She was screaming her head off (=screaming a lot).
    She began to scream blue murder (=scream very loudly).
    He was dragged kicking and screaming to a nearby van.
2. [intransitive and transitive] (also scream out) to shout something in a very loud high voice because you are angry or frightened
   SYN  yell:
    ‘Get out!’ she screamed.
    He screamed out her name.
    scream for
    I screamed for help.
    scream at
    He screamed at her to go away.
    The crowd continued to scream abuse at him.
3. [intransitive] to make a very loud high noise:
    The police car approached, its siren screaming.
     

COLLOCATIONS

■ adverbs
   ▪ scream loudly I just screamed as loudly as I could.
   ▪ scream wildly (=in a loud and uncontrolled way) Poor George, screaming wildly, was carried upstairs by his father.
   ▪ scream hysterically (=in a completely uncontrolled way) Some of the girls started screaming hysterically.
■ phrases
   ▪ scream with laughter/delight She threw her head back and screamed with laughter.
   ▪ scream in/with pain We could hear her screaming in pain.
   ▪ scream in terror/agony etc He screamed in fear and panic, and banged frantically on the door.
   ▪ scream your head off (=scream a lot) At least the idiot wasn’t panicking and screaming his head off.
   ▪ scream blue murder informal (=scream very loudly with fear or anger) She flew into a rage and screamed blue murder at him.
     

THESAURUS

   ▪ shout to say something very loudly: The two men were shouting angrily at each other. | ‘Wait for me!’ he shouted.
   ▪ yell (also holler American English) to shout very loudly, especially because you are angry, excited, or in pain. Yell is more informal than shout: The children were yelling at each other across the street. | ‘Steve, are you there?’ Patti hollered up the stairs.
   ▪ call (out) to shout in order to get someone’s attention: He called her name but she didn’t hear him. | ‘Is anybody there?’ he called out.
   ▪ cry (out) written to shout something loudly, especially because you are in pain, frightened, or very excited: ‘I can’t move,’ Lesley cried. | He cried out in panic. | ‘Look what I’ve found!’ she cried.
   ▪ scream to shout in a very loud high voice, because you are frightened, unhappy, angry etc: The baby wouldn’t stop screaming. | She screamed as she jumped into the cold water. | ‘It’s my money!’ she screamed at him.
   ▪ roar written to shout in a loud deep voice: The crowd roared their appreciation. | ‘Stop this nonsense!' he roared.
   ▪ bellow written to shout in a loud deep voice, especially when you want a lot of people to hear you: He was bellowing orders at the soldiers.
   ▪ bawl to shout in a loud and unpleasant way, because you are angry or unhappy: ‘What are you doing?’ he bawled. | The kids were bawling in the back of the car. | She was always bawling at the children.
   ▪ raise your voice to say something more loudly than normal, especially because you are angry: I never heard my father raise his voice.
   ▪ cheer if a group of people cheer, they shout as a way of showing their approval: The crowd cheered when the band came on stage.

II

scream² noun [countable]1. a loud high sound that you make with your voice because you are hurt, frightened, excited etc
   SYN  shriek:
    We heard screams coming from the flat.
    She saw the knife and let out a scream.
    scream of laughter/terror etc
    He fell back with a scream of terror and pain.
2. a very loud high sound:
    the scream of a jet taking off
3. a scream informal someone or something that is very funny:
    The film was a scream!
     

COLLOCATIONS

■ adjectives
   ▪ a loud scream Suddenly I heard a loud scream.
   ▪ a shrill/piercing/high-pitched scream (=with a very high sound) The sound of gunfire mingled with the shrill screams of the injured.
   ▪ a bloodcurdling scream (=very frightening) With a blood-curdling scream, he threw himself at Paul.
   ▪ a terrified scream (=by someone who is terrified) I let out a terrified scream and scuttled down the stairs.
   ▪ a terrible scream (=by someone suffering great pain or fear) We were woken late that night by the most terrible screams.
   ▪ a little scream Mrs Wood gave a little scream.
   ▪ a muffled/stifled scream (=made quieter, for example by putting a hand over someone’s mouth) No one heard her muffled screams.
■ verbs
   ▪ let out a scream He let out a piercing scream.
   ▪ give a scream She gave a scream of delight.
■ phrases
   ▪ a scream of laughter/delight We could hear the children’s screams of laughter.
   ▪ a scream of pain/terror/agony My screams of terror awoke my parents.