yell
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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
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 (one's) guts out
1. To shout or cry out very loudly and at length, especially to such a degree that causes or seems like it could cause one bodily harm. Suzy started yelling her guts out when we told her she couldn't have ice cream. The stadium was packed with fans yelling their guts out. You're going to cough up a lung if you keep yelling your guts out like that!
2. To decry, protest, or complain about something in a very outspoken and persistent manner. They can yell their guts out about it in Washington all they like, but they know as well as I do that nothing's going to change anytime soon. You have to yell your guts out about a problem in order for upper management to actually do anything about it.
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.
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 bloody murder
1. To scream or shout very loudly. Enid yelled bloody murder when she noticed the snake in the rocks next to her. Please stop yelling bloody murder across the house. If you want to talk, go to the same room.
2. To complain forcefully or loudly, especially as to attract public attention. When they refused to give me a refund, I yelled bloody murder until the manager came out. Our customers will yell bloody murder if we raise the prices again.
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.
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
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
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.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
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.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs. Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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!
yell one’s guts out
verbMcGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.