French word

criard

Pronunciation

IPA/kʁijaʁ/

Meaning

  • adjectiveshrill

Example

Sa voix est criarde.

Her voice is shrill.

Illustration for criard (shrill)

More examples

La musique était criarde et me donnait mal à la tête.

The music was grating and gave me a headache.

Core concept

A harsh, glaring presence that assaults the ears or eyes.

Common phrases

  • musique criarde

    grating music

  • alarme criarde

    grating alarm

  • son criard

    grating sound

Similar words

strident: Harsh, high-pitched, and piercing.
aigu: Marked by a notably high pitch.
perçant: Sharp and penetrating, with a sound that lingers.
bruyant: Loud enough to disturb people nearby.

Definition in French

Qui, par le son ou l'aspect, provoque une impression désagréable et trop voyante.

Word origin

Criard derives from French crier, 'to cry out', with the pejorative suffix -ard; its meaning extends from harsh sound to conspicuously garish appearance.

Usage tips

  • In Sa voix est criarde, the feminine form is criarde; couleurs criardes applies the same adjective to colors.

Other meanings

  • garishadjective
  • flashyadjective

Opposites

Word lists with this word