loud

adjective

ˈlau̇d 

1

a

: marked by intensity or volume of sound

loud music

b

: producing a loud sound

the marten was loud beside them

—David Walker

2

: clamorous, noisy

a loud crowd of people

3

: obtrusive or offensive in appearance or smell : obnoxious

the loudest pinstripe suit in history

—John O'Reilly

loud adverb

loudly adverb

Synonyms

• 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

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

Among Democrats, criticism has grown louder as the war becomes deeply unpopular with the party base. —David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 12 Sep. 2025

Maybe his loud-and-proud brand of politics, no matter how controversial, gave them confidence. —Rachel Hale, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025

To convey alterations in tone, volume and emotion, a variable typeface is deployed, showing louder voices in a larger font and whispers in smaller text as well as different display options for pitch, non-speech sounds and music. —Gus Alexiou, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025

Dolphins can have disrupted hunting and social behaviors from loud noise, while whales may abandon critical habitats or change migration routes in response. —Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 11 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

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
• coude
• cowed
• crowd
• dowd
• ploughed
• plowed
• proud
• shroud
• sowed

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