audible
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.loud enough for you to hear clearly.
adj.capable of being heard; within the range of human auditory perception.
Simple“Her voice was barely audible over the loud noise of the traffic.”
In context“The speaker's comments were clearly audible to those in the front row, but the back of the hall suffered from poor acoustics.”
UsageOften used with 'barely' or 'clearly' to describe the volume of a sound.
- 02 C1 Advanced
n.a change to a plan made at the very last second, often used in sports or business.
n.a play called by the quarterback at the line of scrimmage to replace a previously briefed play; by extension, any last-minute tactical change.
Simple“The manager called an audible and changed the presentation topic just before the meeting started.”
In context“Recognising the defensive shift, the quarterback called an audible, alerting his wide receivers to a change in their running routes.”
UsageCommonly used in the phrase 'to call an audible'.
Teacher's tipWhile this started in American football, you will hear it in business meetings when someone changes a plan suddenly.
Synonyms - 03 C2 Proficiency
v.to change a plan or a play at the last moment by shouting new instructions.
v.to signal a change in play at the line of scrimmage; used intransitively to describe the act of pivoting tactics verbally.
Simple“The team had to audible when they saw the other players were ready for their first plan.”
In context“The veteran quarterback preferred to audible frequently, relying on his ability to read the opposing defense in the final seconds before the snap.”
UsageThe verb is intransitive and does not usually take a direct object.
“There was audible shock in the room when the defence team asked for the juror to be removed, a request that was denied by the judge.”
“I don’t know who got it but I don’t want you packing it on me no more.” Guffaws are audible from the crowd.”
Borrowed from Middle French audible, from Late Latin audibilis, from Latin audire (“to hear”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.