Synonyms of stentorian

stentorian

adjective

sten-ˈtȯr-ē-ən 

as in loud

marked by a high volume of sound

the professor's stentorian voice was enough to keep even the drowsiest student awake

Synonyms & Similar Words

• loud
• deafening
• ringing
• shrill
• thunderous
• roaring
• sonorous
• thundering
• earsplitting
• plangent
• piercing
• clangorous
• booming
• clamorous
• noisy
• blasting
• blaring
• resounding
• slam-bang
• vociferous
• raucous
• brazen
• strident
• obstreperous
• discordant
• harsh
• rip-roaring
• squealing
• overloud
• grating
• sharp
• dinning

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• gentle
• low
• soft
• silent
• quiet
• dead
• still
• calm
• soothing
• serene
• peaceful
• dreamy
• tranquil
• muffled
• restful
• muted
• hushed
• ultraquiet
• stilly
• softened
• toned (down)

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective stentorian contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of stentorian are earsplitting, loud, raucous, and strident. While all these words mean "marked by intensity or volume of sound," stentorian implies great power and range.

an actor with a stentorian voice

When is earsplitting a more appropriate choice than stentorian?

While in some cases nearly identical to stentorian, earsplitting implies loudness that is physically discomforting.

the earsplitting sound of a siren

When can loud be used instead of stentorian?

The meanings of loud and stentorian largely overlap; however, loud applies to any volume above normal and may suggest undue vehemence or obtrusiveness.

loud shouts of protest

When could raucous be used to replace stentorian?

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

the raucous shouts of drunken revelers

When might strident be a better fit than stentorian?

The words strident and stentorian can be used in similar contexts, but strident implies a rasping discordant but insistent quality, especially of voice.

the strident voices of hecklers

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of stentorian

Every stentorian chord became a hammer blow, flourishes intensified into fusillades, a tense pause into an apocalypse. — Justin Davidson, Vulture, 29 Apr. 2026

Here was a bespectacled man with a stentorian mid-century voice, urging the initiates to try the Calabrian tuna toast (scrumptious), the cheeseburger (heavenly), and the shrimp cocktail (not so much). — Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2026

Imagery was multiplied to tell a story—the stentorian Mussolini, with his upraised chin and bald head, delivering a speech, or Hitler, with his toothbrush mustache, gesticulating. — Literary Hub, 27 Apr. 2026

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

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