loud
Americanadjective
-
louder,
comparative
-
loudest
superlative
-
(of sound) strongly audible; having exceptional volume or intensity.
loud talking;
loud thunder;
loud whispers.
- Synonyms:
- stentorian, resounding, earsplitting
- Antonyms:
- quiet
-
making, emitting, or uttering strongly audible sounds.
a quartet of loud trombones.
-
clamorous, vociferous, or blatant; noisy.
a loud party;
a loud demonstration.
-
emphatic or insistent.
to be loud in one's praises;
a loud denial.
-
garish, conspicuous, or ostentatious, as colors, dress, or the wearer of garish dress.
loud ties;
a loud dresser.
-
obtrusively vulgar, as manners or persons.
-
strong or offensive in smell.
adverb
idioms
adjective
-
(of sound) relatively great in volume
a loud shout
-
making or able to make sounds of relatively great volume
a loud voice
-
clamorous, insistent, and emphatic
loud protests
-
(of colours, designs, etc) offensive or obtrusive to look at
-
characterized by noisy, vulgar, and offensive behaviour
adverb
-
in a loud manner
-
audibly, as distinct from silently
Synonym Usage
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.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of loud
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”
Explanation
The adjective loud describes a noise that has a very high volume, like loud music at a concert that kept your ears ringing even after you left. The word loud comes from the Old English word hlud, which means "making noise, sonorous."Loud is most often used to describe the volume level of music, but it can also refer to voices or other sounds that are unpleasant and high-volumed. Loud can also describe a tasteless or showy fashion choice, like a loud Hawaiian shirt paired with bright orange shorts.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Makhachev was greeted by loud cheers as he made his walkout and made a statement in the first round as he took Machado Garry down at the first attempt.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
Bare still reflexively recites stock tickers out loud when companies are mentioned.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
This story is part of Image’s August Adornment issue, which dives into loud, expressive and distinctive accessories.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
Say that whole name out loud, and say it with pride.
From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2026
Warm lights shone through the window and I heard loud voices and laughter.
From "Black Star, Bright Dawn" by Scott O'Dell
Dissent got louder after the twin quakes that struck northern Venezuela on June 24, killing over 6,000 people and decimating hundreds of buildings.
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
They jeered even louder and longer as he took the mound in the bottom of the first inning.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
But this week’s dissent statements may ring louder given that Warsh declined to lay out the logic of the hold-steady decision in much detail, said Derek Tang, a Fed analyst at Monetary Policy Analytics.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
Gaps began to appear between English wheels as the noise in the crowd grew louder.
From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026
Dad is even louder now, ranting about his missing watch case.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
This is the loudest central-bank week of the summer, and Wall Street is watching the wrong meeting.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
But in “Remake,” he openly questions his artistic approach and, fittingly, he lets his son be his loudest critic.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 16, 2026
U.S. supporters gave him the loudest reception of any player when he was introduced while the Belgian fans booed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
Red was the loudest colour in the huge crowds of bereaved wearing black.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
A sketch where the skinnier performer took off his dilapidated boot and counted his toes over and over again, constantly losing his place, generated the loudest reaction.
From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
