Meaning

Loud; shrill, piercing, high-pitched; rough-sounding..

Definitions by Sense

1. Loud; shrill, piercing, high-pitched; rough-sounding.
2. Grating or obnoxious.
3. Forceful (typically in a negative way) or obtrusive.
4. (nonstandard) Vigorous; making strides; forceful in a positive way.
5. (linguistics) One of a class of s-like fricatives produced by an airstream directed at the upper teeth.

Example Sentences

The trumpet sounded strident against the string orchestra.

But as they were upon going forth, a trumpet was sounded without, three strident blasts.

The artist chose a strident mixture of colors.

If Demandt's essay served as a strident example of the German desire for normalcy, a more subtle example was provided by a brief allohistorical depiction of a Nazi victory in World War II written by German historian Michael Salewski in 1999.

The impact of [Jimmy Carter's] anger [at the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan] on his attitude is confirmed by the moderation in his attitude that occurred. Once the president's anger began to subside, he became less strident in his pronouncements and more uncertain of Soviet motives.

Under David Taylor's stewardship, the SFA has made strident progress.

Word Forms

• more strident
• most strident
• stridents

Synonyms for strident

Related Words

When Should You Use Strident?

Use strident when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.

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