stentorian

adjective

sten·​to·​ri·​an sten-ˈtȯr-ē-ən How to pronounce stentorian (audio)
Synonyms of stentoriannext
: extremely loud
spoke in stentorian tones

Did you know?

The Greek herald Stentor was known for having a voice that came through loud and clear. In fact, in the Iliad, Homer described Stentor as a man whose voice was as loud as that of fifty men together. Stentor's powerful voice made him a natural choice for delivering announcements and proclamations to the assembled Greek army during the Trojan War, and it also made his name a byword for any person with a loud, strong voice. Both the noun stentor and the related adjective stentorian pay homage to the big-voiced warrior, and both have been making noise in English since the early 17th century.

Choose the Right Synonym for stentorian

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 stentorian in a Sentence

the professor's stentorian voice was enough to keep even the drowsiest student awake
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In his best work, Miller had a way of switching from grand stentorian speechifying to humble small talk. Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 10 Mar. 2026 The sensation of ripping through six forward gears with the LT4’s stentorian roar echoing off a canyon wall is one of the best in motoring. Kyle Hyatt, Robb Report, 5 Mar. 2026 Broder was famous for always choosing his words carefully and for a stentorian delivery that commanded attention. Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 24 Sep. 2025 With his rumbling, stentorian voice, Woods locates unusual pockets inside of beats and deploys a dense, pictorial songwriting style that Earl Sweatshirt compared to Public Enemy’s Chuck D, both in volume and his relationship to rhythm. Ross Scarano, New York Times, 15 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for stentorian

Word History

First Known Use

1605, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of stentorian was in 1605

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Cite this Entry

“Stentorian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stentorian. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

stentorian

adjective
sten·​to·​ri·​an sten-ˈtōr-ē-ən How to pronounce stentorian (audio)
-ˈtȯr-
: very loud
a stentorian voice
Etymology

from Stentōr, a Greek messenger at the time of the Trojan War noted for having a very loud voice

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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