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LOUD
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (adjective)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Characterized by or producing sound of great volume or intensity
Example:
loud trombones
Classified under:
Similar:
big (loud and firm)
blaring; blasting (unpleasantly loud and penetrating)
clarion (loud and clear)
deafening; earsplitting; thunderous; thundery (loud enough to cause (temporary) hearing loss)
earthshaking (loud enough to shake the very earth)
harsh-voiced (having an unusually harsh sound)
loud-mouthed (given to loud offensive talk)
loud-voiced (having an unusually loud voice)
shattering (seemingly loud enough to break something; violently rattling or clattering)
shouted; yelled (in a vehement outcry)
trumpet-like (resembling the sound of a trumpet)
vocal (full of the sound of voices)
Also:
noisy (full of or characterized by loud and nonmusical sounds)
audible; hearable (heard or perceptible by the ear)
Attribute:
intensity; loudness; volume (the magnitude of sound (usually in a specified direction))
Antonym:
soft ((of sound) relatively low in volume)
Derivation:
loudness (the magnitude of sound (usually in a specified direction))
Sense 2
Meaning:
(used chiefly as a direction or description in music) loud; with force
Example:
the forte passages in the composition
Synonyms:
forte; loud
Classified under:
Similar:
fortemente ((chiefly a direction or description in music) loud and strong)
fortissimo ((chiefly a direction or description in music) very loud and strong)
Derivation:
loudness (the magnitude of sound (usually in a specified direction))
Sense 3
Meaning:
Tastelessly showy
Example:
tawdry ornaments
Synonyms:
brassy; cheap; flash; flashy; garish; gaudy; gimcrack; loud; meretricious; tacky; tatty; tawdry; trashy
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
tasteless (lacking aesthetic or social taste)
Derivation:
loudness (tasteless showiness)
II. (adverb)
Sense 1
Meaning:
With relatively high volume
Example:
cried aloud for help
Synonyms:
Classified under:
Context examples:
An involuntary, primal response in the neonate to loud noise or the feeling of falling.
(Moro Reflex, NCI Thesaurus)
Causes include exposure to loud noise, ear infections, injuries to the ear, genetic, and congenital disorders.
(Hearing Impairment, NCI Thesaurus)
Next instant, with a loud shout of triumph he held up one splinter, in which a round, dark object was fixed like a plum in a pudding.
(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
"I didn't know I was talkin' out loud."
(Martin Eden, by Jack London)
Then it grew louder, and suddenly there came from the window a sharp metallic snick.
(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
I called out several times, as loud as I could raise my voice, but all to no purpose.
(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)
They burst into loud laughter at Dutchy's nonsense.
(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)
A loud thudding noise came from somewhere downstairs.
(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
And with a bow to Mr. Darcy, he concluded his speech, which had been spoken so loud as to be heard by half the room.
(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)
It was fortunate the Tin Woodman had no heart at that moment, for it would have beat loud and fast from terror.
(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)
