strident

adj

1. Loud; shrill, piercing, high-pitched; rough-sounding.

   “The trumpet sounded strident against the string orchestra.”

   “But as they were upon going forth, a trumpet was sounded without, three strident blasts.”

2. Grating or obnoxious.

   “The artist chose a strident mixture of colors.”

   “If Demandt's essay served as a strident example of the German desire for normalcy, a more subtle example was provided by a brief allohistorical depiction of a Nazi victory in World War II written by German historian Michael Salewski in 1999.”

3. Forceful (typically in a negative way) or obtrusive.

   “The impact of [Jimmy Carter's] anger [at the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan] on his attitude is confirmed by the moderation in his attitude that occurred. Once the president's anger began to subside, he became less strident in his pronouncements and more uncertain of Soviet motives.”

4. (nonstandard)Vigorous; making strides; forceful in a positive way.

   “Under David Taylor's stewardship, the SFA has made strident progress.”

noun

1. One of a class of s-like fricatives produced by an airstream directed at the upper teeth.