loudness

[ loud-nis ]

noun

1. exceptional volume or intensity of sound; the fact or quality of being strongly audible:

   From the hallway they could hear his voice enter the conversation, with an abrupt loudness that made them exchange glances.

2. the fact or characteristic of making, emitting, or uttering a strongly audible sound:

   Pressing a harpsichord key harder or softer had no effect on the instrument's loudness.

3. clamorous, vociferous, or blatant character; noisiness:

   This student movement against school uniforms has taken on a tendency toward obnoxious loudness.

4. emphatic or insistent quality:

   The loudness of protests by some members of the G7 resulted in the clause being dropped from the convention.

5. garish, conspicuous, or ostentatious quality, as of colors, dress, or the person wearing them:

   A certain loudness in the colors and cut of his clothing was tempered by natural taste.

6. obtrusive or vulgar character, as of a person or their behavior:

   Their flushed faces and general loudness of manner were proof that they had been drinking.

Other Words From

• o·ver·loud·ness noun

Example Sentences

Crump’s style possessed a larger-than-life whimsy and circus-like loudness, and it caught the eye of Walt Disney, who plucked Crump from animation and one day assigned him what would become arguably the most recognizable clock in Southern California.

From Los Angeles Times

Kamala Harris has been knocked recently for not doing a lot of interviews and for being underground versus Donald Trump, who usually gets knocked for his style in terms of how he conducts himself during debates and just his loudness.

From BBC

It has been well documented that a song's volume, or loudness, over time -- what's known as "amplitude modulation" -- is relatively steady at 1-2 Hz.

From Science Daily

Mainstream Republicans of Washington also started a building bridges project last year that has held a series of small luncheons for people looking to “tone down the loudness” in political rhetoric so people can find solutions, said Deanna Martinez, the organization’s chair.

From Seattle Times

The sounds were kept at a moderate volume of 65 decibels—about the same loudness as a conversation in a bar or city traffic—and they couldn’t be heard by the parent birds.

From Science Magazine

Related Words

• accent
• harmony
• melody
• music
• noise
• note
• tone
• vibration
• voice