yell
(redirected from yells)Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Encyclopedia.
Like this video? Subscribe to our free daily email and get a new idiom video every day!
yell silently
To think angry thoughts without verbalizing them. Bill knew he couldn't talk back to Mrs. Miller, so instead he yelled silently in his head as she reprimanded him.
See also: yell
yell (one's) head off
To scream or shout very loudly and lengthily. Suzy yelled her head off when I told her she couldn't have an ice cream cone. The stadium was packed with fans yelling their heads off. Don't bother listening to the cranks who stand on street corners and yell their heads off at passersby.
scream bloody murder
1. To scream or shout very loudly. Enid screamed bloody murder when she noticed the snake in the rocks next to her. Please stop screaming bloody murder across the house. If you want to talk, go to the same room.
2. To forcefully complain, especially loudly and/or in a public manner. When they refused to give me a refund, I screamed bloody murder until the manager came out. Our customers will scream bloody murder if we raise the prices again.
yell at (someone or something)
1. To address someone or something with a loud cry or shout. Don't you dare yell at my children that way! He stood in the field yelling at the night sky for all of his misfortunes.
2. To express something to someone or something with a loud cry or shout. In this usage, a noun or pronoun is used between "yell" and "at." I had to yell my instructions at the engineers below me due to the high winds. The coach kept yelling obscenities at the referees during the game.
See also: yell
yell out
1. To exclaim loudly and intensely. She yelled out in pain as the box hit her toes.
2. To utter something in a loud, intense cry or shout. I had to yell out my instructions at the engineers below me due to the high winds. The coach kept yelling out obscenities during the game.
let out (some sound)
To utter some loud, forceful sound. I let out a shriek when the dog suddenly jumped on me. The lion let out an intimidating roar.
scream bloody murder
and yell bloody murderFig. to complain bitterly; to complain unduly. When we put him in an office without a window, he screamed bloody murder. There is something wrong next door. Everyone is yelling bloody murder.
yell at someone or something
to shout at someone or something, usually in anger. Please don't yell at me. There is no point in yelling at a cat.
See also: yell
yell one's head off
and yell one's guts out1. Fig. to yell loud and long. I was yelling my head off at the football game. Stop yelling your guts out and listen to me.
2. Fig. to complain bitterly and loudly. Some lady is yelling her head off about shoddy workmanship out in the lobby. I yell my guts out about bad service when I get bad service!
yell out
to cry out; to shout loudly. The pain caused the child to yell out. I yelled out, but no one heard me.
yell something at someone or something
to shout something at someone or something, usually in anger. Please don't yell those things at me. He stood on the porch, yelling curses at a dog on his lawn.
See also: yell
yell something out (at someone or something)
to shout something loudly at someone or something. The dictator yelled curses out at the troops. The director yelled out his disgust at the cast of the play.
scream bloody murder
Angrily protest as loudly as possible, as in When Jimmy took her teddy bear, Lauren screamed bloody murder, or Residents are screaming bloody murder about the increase in property taxes. The scream here may be either literal (as in the first example) or figurative, which is also true of invoking murder as though one were in danger of being killed. Versions of this term, such as cry murder, date from the 1400s.
yell at
v.
To shout at someone or something in anger, often at length: The coach yelled at the team after they lost the game.
See also: yell
yell out
v.
1. To shout something loudly and generally; announce something: Audience members yelled out song requests for the band to play. If you know the answer to the question, yell it out.
2. To utter a loud strong cry: I yelled out when I stubbed my toe.
scream bloody murder
tv. to scream very loudly; to complain or protest loudly. She screams bloody murder every time I get near her.
yell one’s head off
and yell one’s guts out1. tv. to yell loud and long. Stop yelling your head off and listen to me.
2. tv. to complain bitterly and loudly. I yell my guts out about tripe when I see tripe!