Strident Meaning
/ˈstɹaɪ.dənt/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
adjLoud; shrill, piercing, high-pitched; rough-sounding.
adjGrating or obnoxious.
Sentence Examples
Tom's voice is strident.
I don't like their music; I find the singer's voice strident.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ sound of the ambulance siren hurt my ears.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ____ sound of the fire alarm woke everyone in the building and forced them to evacuate quickly.
Word Origin & History
From French strident, from Latin strīdēns, present active participle of strīdō.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"But as they were upon going forth, a trumpet was sounded without, three strident blasts."
— 1922, E[ric] R[ücker] Eddison, The Worm Ouroboros: A Romance, London: Jonathan Cape […], →OCLC, page 7:
"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."
— 2005 May 23, Gavriel D. Rosenfeld, The World Hitler Never Made: Alternate History and the Memory of Nazism, Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 182:
"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."
— 2019 March 8, Dan Caldwell, Diplomacy, Force, And Leadership: Essays In Honor Of Alexander L. George, Routledge, →ISBN:
"Under David Taylor's stewardship, the SFA has made strident progress."
— 2003 November 6, Stuart Cosgrove, “Taylor slagging Saddam shame.”, in Daily Record, Glasgow, archived from the original on 12 Nov 2012:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ sound of the ambulance siren hurt my ears.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ____ sound of the fire alarm woke everyone in the building and forced them to evacuate quickly.