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aloud

adv.
US //əˈɫaʊd// UK //ɐlˈaʊd// aloud
  1. 1 audibly (adv.)
    A2 Elementary

    using your voice so that you can be heard, instead of reading or thinking silently.

    in a voice that can be heard; audibly. Often used with verbs like 'read', 'think', or 'speak' to distinguish from silent mental activity.

    Example

    The teacher asked the student to read the story aloud to the class.

    Example

    She found it helpful to read her essay aloud, as hearing the words helped her identify awkward phrasing that she had missed while reading silently.
    • audibly
    • out loud
    Pitfall
    He spoke aloudly so everyone could hear.
    He spoke aloud so everyone could hear.

    The word 'aloud' is already an adverb; do not add '-ly' to the end of it.

  2. 2 loudly (adv.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Literary

    with a lot of noise or a very strong voice.

    with a high volume or great intensity of sound. While 'loudly' is more common in modern speech for this sense, 'aloud' appears in literary contexts to mean with significant volume.

    Example

    He cried aloud in pain when he bumped his knee.

    Example

    The prophet cried aloud to the heavens, his voice echoing through the empty valley as he lamented the fate of his people.
Origin

From Middle English aloud, a loude (“aloud”), equivalent to a- + loud or a- + loude (“sound”).

Idioms1 entry

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