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

The loudest swing of the night belonged to the Cubs’ Michael Busch, who sent a three-run shot off lefty Erik Miller into McCovey Cove. —Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 13 June 2026

Students at Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill designed and 3D-printed a new version of the vuvuzela, the loud plastic horn that became infamous during past international soccer tournaments. —Kenny Choi, CBS News, 12 June 2026

The pseudo-leader is often the loudest voice in the room and the least trusted. —Dr. Adil Dalal, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026

The scientists only got a passing glimpse of the goblin shark before the lights and loud noise from the ROV's motor scared it away, Auscavitch told ABC News. —Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 12 June 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