squawk

This isn't a gentle chirp. It's the kind of loud, sudden sound a parrot might make, or the kind of noisy protest a person might give when they strongly disagree with something. Think of a startled chicken letting out a sharp cry. You can make a squawk, and you can also describe someone letting out a squawk when they hear bad news. Sometimes the word can even describe a harsh noise from an object, like an old floorboard under a heavy step. It's most often linked to birds, but people do it too, especially when they feel upset, surprised, or treated unfairly.

A squawk is a sharp, loud, and often harsh cry or sound. While most famously associated with birds—think parrots, crows, or gulls—it is not limited to the avian world. A person might squawk in protest when presented with an unfair situation, letting out a vocal outburst of disagreement. For example, "He squawked loudly when he realized he'd been charged twice for his coffee."

The sound itself often suggests surprise, annoyance, or objection. Inanimate objects can also be said to squawk if they produce a jarring, high-pitched noise, such as a rusty hinge or floorboards showing their age. In modern technical contexts, especially in aviation, the word has a specialized meaning: to "squawk" is to set a transponder to a specific code so air traffic control can identify the aircraft on radar.

Whether it's a bird announcing its presence, a person voicing their displeasure, or a pilot identifying their aircraft to a controller, a squawk is always a noticeable and often jarring sound that demands attention.