aloud
Americanadverb
-
with the normal tone and volume of the speaking voice, as distinguished from whisperingly.
They could not speak aloud in the library.
-
vocally, as distinguished from mentally.
He read the book aloud.
-
with a loud voice; loudly.
to cry aloud in grief.
adverb
-
in a normal voice; not in a whisper
-
in a spoken voice; not silently
-
archaic in a loud voice
Etymology
Origin of aloud
Explanation
If you read something aloud you use your voice, not just your eyes. You might feel shy reading your poems aloud in front of strangers. Aloud used to mean "very loudly," but now we use it to mean "speaking voice" as opposed to the silent voice of our thoughts. You might have to read something aloud to your grandmother if she's having trouble with her eyes. If you accidentally said something that you meant to keep to yourself, you were thinking aloud. If something is terribly painful, you might cry aloud — unable to contain yourself.
Vocabulary lists containing aloud
Commonly Confused Words, List 3
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Commonly Confused Words, List 6
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Commonly Confused Words, List 8
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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.
I repeat aloud: “I have a good kid. I am a good parent.”
From Slate • May 10, 2026
Leavitt, in character as Hart, points to the headline and reads aloud: “Whitney Leavitt announces she’s leaving ‘The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.’”
From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026
From time to time, there are rumblings in Lib Dem ranks, wondering aloud why the party doesn't seem to be the beneficiary of a restless electorate on the hunt for alternatives.
From BBC • May 2, 2026
The two men wondered aloud what thousands of new submarine builders would mean for Thames Street, once a bustling downtown and now a row of vacant storefronts.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 18, 2026
I must have said it aloud because Anna shook her head.
From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff
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.
