squeak

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/ˈskwiːk/
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A brief, high-pitched sound, or the act of producing one, often used to describe a narrow escape.
Practice using squeak in conversation until it feels natural

Examples

  • You can run Squeak on most operating systems.
  • Even a faint squeak can be heard in a silent room.
  • Students learn object-oriented concepts using Squeak.
  • She got a squeak on the exam, missing the pass mark by a hair.
  • The mouse squeaked in the corner of the kitchen.

Similar words

chirp
barely manage
ping
squeal
warble
narrow escape
just get by
tight squeeze
tweet
IDE

Meanings

Make a short high-pitched sound

verb
everyday
neutral
To produce a brief, high-pitched noise, like a mouse or a squeaky floor.

Examples

  • The old floor squeaks whenever I step on it.
  • My new shoes squeaked loudly on the polished hallway.
  • The mouse squeaked in the corner of the kitchen.
  • During the storm, the window squeaked in the wind.
  • He tried to be quiet, but the chair squeaked under his weight.
  • The toy car squeaks as it rolls across the carpet.

Similar words

chirp
whine
yelp
peep
tweet
warble
squeal

Short high-pitched sound

noun
everyday
neutral
A brief, high-pitched cry or noise made by an animal or an object.

Examples

  • I heard a sudden squeak coming from the attic.
  • The door's squeak was so high it made me wince.
  • A tiny squeak escaped the hamster as it ran.
  • The wooden bench gave a sharp squeak when I sat down.
  • That squeak in the recording is just background noise.
  • Even a faint squeak can be heard in a silent room.

Similar words

chirp
peep
yelp
whine
tweet
squeal
warble

Just manage to succeed

verb
everyday
informal
To achieve something only by a very small margin, such as passing a test or winning an election.

Examples

  • She squeaked into the college with a barely passing GPA.
  • We squeaked past the deadline by a few minutes.
  • He squeaked a win in the final round of the tournament.
  • The budget squeaked through the committee after many cuts.
  • I squeaked out of the interview with a shaky smile.
  • They squeaked by on a shoestring budget, barely covering expenses.

Similar words

eke
scrape
barely manage
just get by
narrowly succeed
just make it
just pull through

Narrow escape

noun
everyday
informal
A close call in which someone avoids defeat or danger, often expressed as a narrow squeak.

Examples

  • That was a squeak; the car almost hit the pole.
  • He survived the fall by a squeak, landing on a soft bush.
  • The team’s victory was a squeak, winning by one point.
  • She got a squeak on the exam, missing the pass mark by a hair.
  • It was a squeak when the fire alarm failed to go off.
  • The climber made a squeak, slipping but catching the ledge.

Similar words

close call
near miss
brush with disaster
tight squeeze
hair's breadth
scrape
narrow escape

Inform on someone

verb
social
informal
To betray or report someone to authorities, similar to squealing.

Examples

  • He squeaked on his partner to the police.
  • Don't squeak on your friends; they trust you.
  • The kid squeaked about the prank to the teacher.
  • She refused to squeak, keeping the secret safe.
  • He was known to squeak whenever the boss was around.
  • If you squeak, you'll lose their respect.

Similar words

tattle
snitch
inform
rat
blab
spill
betray

Open-source Smalltalk-derived programming language

noun
technology
neutral
A modern, open-source, object-oriented programming language that descends from Smalltalk.

Examples

  • Developers often choose Squeak for its flexible graphics.
  • The class hierarchy in Squeak mirrors Smalltalk's design.
  • You can run Squeak on most operating systems.
  • The latest Squeak release includes a new IDE.
  • Students learn object-oriented concepts using Squeak.
  • Open-source contributions keep Squeak evolving.

Similar words

language
environment
platform
framework
runtime
IDE
toolkit

Brief signal

noun
everyday
informal
A short sound used as a signal or to show that something is happening.

Examples

  • The device emitted a quick squeak to confirm the command.
  • A soft squeak signaled that the battery was low.
  • He listened for the squeak that meant the door was unlocked.
  • The toy robot makes a cheerful squeak when it starts.
  • A single squeak can alert the lab technician.
  • The alarm's squeak was barely audible in the hallway.

Similar words

beep
tone
ping
alert
chirp
blip
signal

Etymology

From Middle English squeken (c. 1350–1400), an imitative word likely borrowed from Scandinavian, comparable to Swedish skväka ‘croak’. The verb sense developed then; the noun is first recorded in the early 17th century.

FAQ

What does squeak mean as a verb?

It means to produce a brief, high-pitched noise, like a mouse or a squeaky floor.

What does squeak mean as a noun?

It refers to a short, high-pitched sound made by an animal or an object.

How is squeak used to describe barely succeeding?

It describes achieving something only by a very small margin, such as passing a test or winning an election.

What does squeak mean when talking about a narrow escape?

It denotes a close call where someone avoids defeat or danger.

What is squeak in the world of programming?

It is a modern, open-source, object-oriented programming language that descends from Smalltalk.

Where does squeak come from and what is its past tense?

Its origin is Middle English squeken, likely borrowed from Scandinavian, and its past tense form is squeaked.

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