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loud

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adverb

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective loud contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of loud are earsplitting, raucous, stentorian, and strident. While all these words 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

When can earsplitting be used instead of loud?

In some situations, the words earsplitting and loud are roughly equivalent. However, earsplitting implies loudness that is physically discomforting.

the earsplitting sound of a siren

When is it sensible to use raucous instead of loud?

The synonyms raucous and loud are sometimes interchangeable, but raucous implies a loud harsh grating tone, especially of voice, and may suggest rowdiness.

the raucous shouts of drunken revelers

In what contexts can stentorian take the place of loud?

The meanings of stentorian and loud largely overlap; however, stentorian implies great power and range.

an actor with a stentorian voice

Where would strident be a reasonable alternative to loud?

Although the words strident and loud have much in common, strident implies a rasping discordant but insistent quality, especially of voice.

the strident voices of hecklers

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of loud
Adjective
That loud to a shouting match between the two men. Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, 16 Sep. 2025 This feature will give users a live translation through the earbuds, slightly delayed behind another person speaking out loud. Greta Cross, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2025
Adverb
Once loud and bubbly, Thorley, 51, now mainly communicates by typing on an iPad, along with sign language. Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 5 Oct. 2025 That is why a louder version is now available — powered by middle-aged Latino uncles. Andy Hoglund, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for loud
Recent Examples of Synonyms for loud
Adjective
  • That was the sound of Blackwell’s game-deciding block, followed by the deafening final eruption from the stands of Allegiant Stadium.
    Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
  • And now that Survivor 50 has already been cast and filmed, that drumbeat is almost deafening.
    Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • This simple yet powerful step turned noisy, unreliable photon signals into clean bursts of single photons — a breakthrough for future quantum technologies.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2025
  • How to stand out in such a noisy season?
    Laure Guilbault, Vogue, 1 Oct. 2025
Adverb
  • At the onset of Cox remarks, a minority of attendees loudly booed his presence, but the governor was able to rally applause by invoking his pleasure to be back at his alma mater.
    Alex J. Rouhandeh, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Even senators who voted to confirm Kennedy as a cabinet member now loudly point out contradictions between his confirmation hearing testimony and his actions in office.
    Thomas Elias, Mercury News, 27 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • But the first five innings Tuesday were a ringing endorsement for the Dodgers’ cautious approach to Ohtani’s rehab and return from a second Tommy John surgery.
    Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 17 Sep. 2025
  • Bravo to Netflix for their ringing endorsement of biodiversity with its commitment to purchase Funga’s carbon credits.
    Erik Kobayashi-Solomon, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Adverb
  • With the air choked by chemicals and ash, the sunsets were flamboyantly intense.
    Dana Goodyear, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
  • O’Brien’s dual roles as both flamboyantly gay charm bomb Rocky — who is flattened in a car accident early in the film — and the grieving and straight Roman comprise a career-topping performance.
    Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The 89-year-old child psychologist transformed a corner of the conservative movement into a roaring political force that shaped the national conversation and became the de facto base of the modern Republican Party that embraced performative piety as a precondition for viability.
    Philip Elliott, Time, 21 Aug. 2025
  • This familiarity with the Wyoming wilderness perhaps explains why the game feels so authentic: Its roaring orange sunsets, powder-blue skies, lush green pines, and trickling turquoise waters.
    Lewis Gordon, Vulture, 9 July 2025
Adverb
  • The characters are bright, marionette-like caricatures whom the author constructs and moves ostentatiously in full view of the reader, revealing his artistic devices with a sense of absurd, mischievous humor.
    Nelly Klos September 29, Literary Hub, 29 Sep. 2025
  • Given that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex ostentatiously dropped nearly all their public commitments when moved to California in 2021, this seems to represent a turnaround.
    Alexander Larman, Time, 10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • There's this thunderous beat at the start of the film's soundtrack.
    Michal Ruprecht, NPR, 1 Oct. 2025
  • Online speculation and desire regarding Daryl and Carol as a couple has been at a thunderous drumbeat over the years, but the stars have been resistant to engage — no pun intended — on the topic.
    Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Loud.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/loud. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.

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