loud

[ loud ]

adjective

, loud·er, loud·est.

1. (of sound) strongly audible; having exceptional volume or intensity:

   loud talking;

   loud thunder;

   loud whispers.

   Synonyms: stentorian, resounding, earsplitting

   Antonyms: quiet

2. making, emitting, or uttering strongly audible sounds:

   a quartet of loud trombones.

3. clamorous, vociferous, or blatant; noisy:

   a loud party;

   a loud demonstration.

4. emphatic or insistent:

   to be loud in one's praises;

   a loud denial.

5. garish, conspicuous, or ostentatious, as colors, dress, or the wearer of garish dress:

   loud ties;

   a loud dresser.

   Synonyms: showy, flashy, gaudy

6. obtrusively vulgar, as manners or persons.
7. strong or offensive in smell.

adverb

1. in a loud manner; loudly:

   Don't talk so loud.

loud

/ laʊd /

adjective

1. (of sound) relatively great in volume

   a loud shout

2. making or able to make sounds of relatively great volume

   a loud voice

3. clamorous, insistent, and emphatic

   loud protests

4. (of colours, designs, etc) offensive or obtrusive to look at
5. characterized by noisy, vulgar, and offensive behaviour

adverb

1. in a loud manner
2. out loud
   audibly, as distinct from silently

Derived Forms

• ˈloudness, noun
• ˈloudly, adverb

Other Words From

• loud·ly adverb
• loud·ness noun
• o·ver·loud adjective
• o·ver·loud·ly adverb
• un·loud·ly adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of loud¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English hlūd; cognate with Old Frisian, Old Saxon hlūd ( Dutch luid ), Old High German hlūt ( German laut ); akin to Greek klytós “famous”

Word History and Origins

Origin of loud¹

Old English hlud; related to Old Swedish hlūd, German laut

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. out loud, aloud; audibly:

   I thought it, but I never said it out loud.

   Just whisper, don't speak out loud.

More idioms and phrases containing loud

• actions speak louder than words
• big (loud) mouth
• for crying out loud
• out loud
• think aloud
• (loud enough) to wake the dead

Synonym Study

Loud, noisy describe a strongly audible sound or sounds. Loud means characterized by a full, powerful sound or sounds, which make a strong impression on the organs of hearing: a loud voice, laugh, report. Noisy refers to a series of sounds, and suggests clamor and discordance, or persistence in making loud sounds that are disturbing and annoying: a noisy crowd.

Example Sentences

“You realize he didn’t speak out loud during that day. Human beings are meant to be convivial and social — the default setting for a lot of us is that we need other people around. Ted’s character Charles is a guy who’s still perfectly vibrant, very sharp, alive in the world, but his life has just gotten very small. And the question is — for him and for the audience — can he go through something that makes him see the value in living a bigger life?”

From Los Angeles Times

It is also clear to people from other cultures that Americans can be relatively loud, expect things to be given to them, and are pushy and individualistic.

From Salon

I kind of perfected the filling over the years, and I don’t want to say it’s the perfect chair — because some people might say it’s too low or it’s too loud, or it ages — but I love sitting in them because the material, the history of the materials, feels not only comfortable to me but it’s this idea of being engaged with what I’m sitting in based off the mood I’m in.

From Los Angeles Times

Handed the struggling Miami Dolphins on a blue-and-gold platter, the Rams fumbled the exchange, dropped the shining opportunity with a loud clang, made a total mess of the joint, and staggered away with a 23-15 loss that was as ugly as the score sounded.

From Los Angeles Times

So we flew to London, my husband and I, for the first time, and I finally wore my big, loud cocoon coat to the exhibition preview.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• big
• boisterous
• deafening
• emphatic
• heavy
• intense
• lusty
• powerful
• rambunctious
• raucous
• resounding
• ringing
• roaring
• rowdy
• strident
• strong
• thundering
• vehement
• vociferous