anschreien

Meaning (in English)

anschreien means to shout at someone, to yell at someone, often in an angry, scolding, or accusatory way. It implies directing loud shouting toward a person.

• Er hat mich angeschrien. = “He yelled at me / shouted at me.”

Parts (word formation)

• an- (prefix): here it indicates directing an action at someone (toward a target).
• schreien: “to shout / to scream”

So anschreien = “to shout at (someone).”

Related meanings / notes

• It is typically used when the shouting is addressed to a person (not just shouting in general).
• Compared to schreien, which can be “to scream/shout” without a direct target, anschreien usually has a clear object (the person being yelled at).

German synonyms

• anbrüllen (more coarse/animal-like, “to bark/yell at”)
• anmeckern (to nag/scold; not necessarily loud)
• anraunzen (to snap at, gruffly)
• zusammenschreien (to yell at someone harshly, really berate)

German antonyms (where applicable)

• beruhigen (to calm someone down)
• beschwichtigen (to pacify, soothe)
• leise sprechen / flüstern (to speak quietly / whisper)
• loben (to praise)