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

It was loud and aggrieved, and it filled the Republican Party with fear.

From Washington Post

Author Martin Amis — one of the loudest British voices chronicling apocalyptic angst and moral laxities in the 1980s — has something of a subtext on sophisti-pop in his 1984 novel "Money."

From Washington Post

The volume on the TV was loud, and our conversation — during which she facetiously suggested that I sneak a peek at one of the closed exhibitions — boomed throughout the room like an airport boarding announcement.

From Washington Post

His hands stay inside the baseball extremely well, he has a feel for the strike zone, and he had as loud of a bat that we had at our Instructional League camp.

From Washington Post

While it is never good to hold your breath when breathing pressurized air at depth, gliding down from above the fish while slowly exhaling to prevent loud noises is a deadly technique.

From Popular-Science

There was a little pause while the music rose to a loudness greater than was comfortable as a background to conversation.

From Project Gutenberg

The Loud Concrete is simply the equable concrete uttered with greater fulness of breath and loudness of tone.

From Project Gutenberg

The thug is aware that loudness convinces sixty persons where reasoning convinces but one.

From Project Gutenberg

A sudden silence fell, and the hitherto unheeded noises of the night smote on his ears with uncanny loudness.

From Project Gutenberg

In a minute, the number and loudness of the voices indicated that the whole party was collected in and around that secret place.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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