loud

1 of 2

adjective

ˈlau̇d 

1

a

: marked by intensity or volume of sound

loud music

b

: producing a loud sound

a loud engine

2

: clamorous, noisy

a loud crowd of people

3

: obtrusive or offensive in appearance or smell : obnoxious

… in a white linen suit and loud plaid tie …

—Alice Kaplan

loud adverb

loudly adverb

loudly

2 of 2

adverb

loud·​ly

sometimes -er/-est

: in a loud, noisy, or emphatic manner

the large birds laughed so loudly that the goldfinch became annoyed

—James Thurber

something eminently human beaconed from his eye; something indeed which never found its way into his talk, but which spoke … more often and loudly in the acts of his life

—Robert Louis Stevenson

Synonyms of loud

Adjective

• deafening
• ringing
• roaring
• noisy
• thunderous

Choose the Right Synonym for loud

loud, stentorian, earsplitting, raucous, strident mean marked by intensity or volume of sound.

loud applies to any volume above normal and may suggest undue vehemence or obtrusiveness.

loud shouts of protest

stentorian implies great power and range.

an actor with a stentorian voice

earsplitting implies loudness that is physically discomforting.

the earsplitting sound of a siren

raucous implies a loud harsh grating tone, especially of voice, and may suggest rowdiness.

the raucous shouts of drunken revelers

strident implies a rasping discordant but insistent quality, especially of voice.

the strident voices of hecklers

Examples of loud in a Sentence

Adjective

She complained in a loud voice.

“Is the television loud enough?” “It's too loud!”

He's known for being loud and aggressive.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Scorpio October 23 – November 21 Responsibilities may feel louder than your energy today. — Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 4 Oct. 2026

And already and immediately, the hot seat rumblings have gotten louder and louder. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 4 Oct. 2026

Her version is louder and more biting, but never at the sacrifice of the track’s spirit. — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2026

The speakers can get surprisingly loud and don't distort much, even at higher volumes. — Marshall Honorof, PC Magazine, 3 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Old English hlūd; akin to Old High German hlūt loud, Latin inclutus famous, Greek klytos, Sanskrit śṛṇoti he hears

Adverb

Middle English, from loud entry 1 + -ly

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing loud

• for crying out loud
• loud and clear
• loud-hailer
• out loud
• think aloud/out loud

Rhymes for loud

• bowed
• browed
• cloud
• cowed
• crowd
• dowd
• ploughed
• plowed
• proud
• shroud
• sowed
• stroud

Kids Definition

loud

adjective

ˈlau̇d 

1

a

: marked by a high volume of sound

b

: producing a loud sound

2

: noisy sense 1

3

: unpleasantly bold or bright in color or pattern

a loud plaid

loud adverb

loudly adverb

loudness noun