strident

/ˈstraɪdnt/

/ˈstraɪdɪnt/

Something that's strident is loud, grating, and obnoxious. Your roommate's strident laughter as he watches cartoons late into the night might inspire you to buy a pair of ear plugs.

Strident is related to the Latin word strix, meaning "screech owl." This is a kind of owl that doesn't hoot. It screeches in a strident way. Strident can also describe the forceful expression of an unpopular opinion. Don't confuse strident with striding, which means walking quickly with a wide step. If you're angry at your brother, you might come striding into his room and begin making a strident case for why he has done you wrong.

Definitions of strident

1. adjective

   unpleasantly loud and harsh
   synonyms: raucous

   cacophonic, cacophonous

   having an unpleasant sound
2. adjective

   conspicuously and offensively loud; given to vehement outcry
   “strident demands”

   synonyms: blatant, clamant, clamorous, vociferous

   noisy

   full of or characterized by loud and nonmusical sounds
3. adjective

   being sharply insistent on being heard
   “strident demands”

   synonyms: shrill

   imperative

   requiring attention or action
4. adjective

   of speech sounds produced by forcing air through a constricted passage (as `f', `s', `z', or `th' in both `thin' and `then')
   synonyms: continuant, fricative, sibilant, spirant

   soft

   (of speech sounds); produced with the back of the tongue raised toward the hard palate; characterized by a hissing or hushing sound (as `s' and `sh')