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

His pre-teen son in tow, Luis joins up with a crusty group of dancers who are heading to a secret party in the heart of the desert, where the beats will be loud enough to drown out the sounds of the apocalyptic war that’s brewing around them. —David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 10 Oct. 2025

The music is loud, and the vibes are high. —Kristen Tribe, Southern Living, 10 Oct. 2025

Very few Canucks got a roar from the crowd as loud as Cootes during the team’s pregame player introductions. —Harman Dayal, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025

The speaker is twice as large and nearly four times louder than before, while the microphone has been repositioned for clearer communication. —Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 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