尖叫 means 'to shriek' or 'to scream' — a sudden, high-pitched, often involuntary cry expressing intense emotion such as fear, surprise, pain, or extreme excitement. The character 尖 (jiān) literally means 'sharp' or 'pointed', evoking the piercing, shrill quality of the sound; 叫 (jiào) means 'to shout' or 'to call'. Together, they emphasize both the acoustic sharpness and the vocal intensity of the utterance.

This word is commonly used in descriptive or narrative contexts — for example, when recounting an accident, watching a horror movie, or describing a child’s joyful outburst at a birthday party. While it can be neutral in tone, 尖叫 often carries emotional weight and may imply loss of control or heightened arousal. It is more vivid and dramatic than general terms like 喊 (hǎn, 'to shout') or 叫 (jiào, 'to call'), and is rarely used in formal speech or writing unless quoting dialogue or conveying strong sensory impact.