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verbverb

quieken

squeal

Einen kurzen, hohen Ton machen, wie eine kleine Maus.

Definition & meaning

The verb quieken refers to producing a short, high-pitched sound. It is typically associated with specific animals or human reactions.

  1. Animal sounds: It describes the high-pitched squealing or grunting sounds made by pigs, piglets, or mice.
  2. Human behavior: It refers to a person emitting a high-pitched cry or shriek, usually due to excitement, sudden surprise, pain, or intense laughter.

Grammar & Word origin

Grammar:

  • Verb: {quieken} is a weak verb.
  • Conjugation: Ich quieke, du quiekst, er/sie/es quiekt. Past tense: quiekte. Past participle: gequiekt.

Word origin: The word is onomatopoeic, meaning it was formed to imitate the actual sound being described. It belongs to the group of German verbs that mimic natural noises, similar to other animal-related verbs.

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms:

  • {quietschen} (often used for inanimate objects like hinges, but also for high-pitched human or animal sounds)
  • {pfeifen} (in the context of very high, thin sounds)
  • {kreischen} (more intense, usually associated with screaming or screeching)
  • {fiepen} (a softer, thinner version of the sound, often used for young animals)

Antonyms:

  • {brummen} (a low, deep, humming sound, which is the opposite of a high-pitched {quieken} )
  • {schweigen} (the state of being silent)

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Examples

Die Ferkel quieken im Stall.verb

The piglets squeal in the barn.

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