悲鳴
himei[çime̞ː]
The English verb "shriek" is translated into Japanese as 悲鳴 (himei).
悲鳴 refers to a loud, sharp, shrill sound or cry. While it often describes an actual cry of fear or pain, it can also be used figuratively to describe something reaching its limit or being under extreme pressure, such as an engine or machinery reaching a breaking point.
Meaning: to utter a loud, sharp, shrill sound or cry (verb)
What does it mean word for word?
The word 悲鳴 is composed of the kanji 悲, meaning sadness or sorrow and 鳴, meaning to cry or sound, literally translating to a "sorrowful cry".
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun 悲鳴 is most commonly used with the verb あげる (to let out) to form the phrase 悲鳴をあげる. The verb part of this phrase can be written using the kanji 上げる or in hiragana as あげる.
How do you pronounce it?
himei
Did you know?
- In Japanese, the kanji 鳴 in 悲鳴 is also used in the word for 'birdsong' 鳥の鳴き声, showing that the same root for 'crying' covers both a terrifying shriek and a beautiful melody.
- In modern Japanese business contexts, the phrase 悲鳴を上げる is frequently used to describe a company or department that is overwhelmed by an impossible workload, even if no one is actually screaming.
- While 悲鳴 is a general shriek, the Japanese language has distinct onomatopoeia for different types of screams, such as キャー for a high-pitched female shriek and ギャー for a more guttural or panicked cry.
Examples in context
- 庭にあった鉢植えをどけたら、小さな虫がうじゃうじゃといて、思わず悲鳴をあげてしまった。When I lifted a potted plant in my garden, there were swarms of little insects crawling underneath, and I instinctively let out a shriek.This sentence shows how to use 悲鳴 when reacting to something unexpected like insects.Tatoeba #1153186 by bunbuku, translation #1528233 by marshmallowcat
- 嬉しい悲鳴A shriek of delightThis example shows the phrase used to describe a shriek of delight.
- 彼女は叫びました。She screamed.
- 子供たちの悲鳴が聞こえました。The children's shrieks could be heard.
- 驚いてぎゃあと声を上げました。Startled, I let out a shriek.
- 彼女は突然の雷に悲鳴をあげた。Kanojo wa totsuzen no kaminari ni himei o ageta.She shrieked at the sudden thunder.
Example conversation
Misaki and Ren are watching a horror movie together.
- 蓮 Renこの映画、すごく怖くない？Kono eiga, sugoku kowakunai?Isn't this movie really scary?
- 美咲 Misakiうん、さっき悲鳴をあげちゃった。Un, sakki himei o agechatta.Yeah, I shrieked a moment ago.
- 蓮 Ren大丈夫？無理しないでね。Daijoubu? Muri shinaide ne.Are you okay? Don't push yourself.
- 美咲 Misakiありがとう、蓮くん。Arigatou, Ren-kun.Thanks, Ren.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 悲鳴, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
