noun
banshee
ban-SHEE
noun
1
In Irish folklore, a female spirit whose mournful wailing is said to warn a household that a death is coming.
"According to the old story, a banshee wailed outside the house the night before his grandfather died."
"The film used a banshee's scream as its signature jump-scare sound."
2
Informally, a loud, shrieking or bad-tempered woman (or, by extension, anyone making a piercing wailing noise).
"The toddler screamed like a banshee the moment his ice cream fell on the pavement."
How to Use Banshee
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA wailing female ghost from Irish legend that supposedly signals an approaching death; also used loosely for anyone letting out a piercing scream.
Common pairings
scream like a banshee
wail like a banshee
Word Forms
banshees plural
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According to the old story, a _____ wailed outside the house the night before his grandfather died.
Etymology
From Irish bean sí, literally "woman of the fairy mound," via Old Irish ben síde. The word entered English in 1771.