1
: carrying a load
a loaded freight train
: such as
a
: containing an explosive charge
a loaded warhead
: having bullets inside
a loaded handgun
b
of a camera
: having film inside
2
informal
: having a large amount of something
a store loaded with goods
a report loaded with errors
: such as
a
: having a large amount of money : wealthy
She left them a fortune and the family is now loaded.
b
: equipped with an abundance of features
a fully loaded car
c
: filled or topped with many things
a loaded baked potato
d
: featuring a great amount of top-level talent
a basketball team with a loaded roster
a loaded competition
3
chiefly US slang
: intoxicated by alcohol or drugs
especially
: drunk
They got loaded at the party.
… no matter how loaded he got, Billy did his drinking at home and always put the cans in the recycling bin … —
Stephen King
Stephen King 4
a
: carrying a hidden or secondary meaning that is capable of causing unease
Because "asylum" is a loaded term, it can draw attention to crucial issues facing vulnerable Americans, but it also tends to foreclose discussion of real solutions.—The New York Times
The New York Times"You tell me," Cora said. "Do you think I had a therapist?" Aaron's mouth fell open. That was a loaded question. Any answer would be wrong.—Parnell Hall
Parnell Hall
b
: weighted to favor a specific outcome
loaded dice
(figurative) … the dice of life are loaded in favor of first borns in ways they simply aren't for any siblings who come along later.—Jeffrey Kluger
Jeffrey Klugerloaded
2 of 2past tense and past participle of load entry 2
Examples of loaded in a Sentence
Adjective
He said he didn't know the gun was loaded.
the department stores were loaded with goods for the holiday shopping season
Recent Examples on the Web
Ed Garsten, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Hutcheson said Walker was killed in the driveway when Michael Hatcher grabbed a loaded pistol from his car and fired one shot.
—Adam Sabes , Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2025
With such a loaded leaderboard and such an interesting story, that of Fleetwood chasing his elusive first career PGA Tour win while being chased by some of the best golfers ever, Sunday's final round at the FedEx St. Jude Championship is one that golf fans won't want to miss.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Aug. 2025
Mull pointed a loaded handgun at them, and one deputy fired, striking him, officials said.
—Sydney Barragan, Oc Register, 9 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for loaded
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Adjective
The Chaparral is designed as an autonomous cargo carrier, capable of picking up a pod loaded with 300-500 pounds of cargo, fly it to a destination as far as 300 miles then drop it off, ready to pick up another pre-loaded pod.
—Ed Garsten, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025
Hutcheson said Walker was killed in the driveway when Michael Hatcher grabbed a loaded pistol from his car and fired one shot.
—Adam Sabes , Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2025
With such a loaded leaderboard and such an interesting story, that of Fleetwood chasing his elusive first career PGA Tour win while being chased by some of the best golfers ever, Sunday's final round at the FedEx St. Jude Championship is one that golf fans won't want to miss.
—Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Aug. 2025
Mull pointed a loaded handgun at them, and one deputy fired, striking him, officials said.
—Sydney Barragan, Oc Register, 9 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for loaded
Cite this Entry
“Loaded.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/loaded. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
loaded
adjective
load·ed
ˈlōd-əd 
1
slang
: drunk entry 2 sense 1
2
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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