# loud

/ˈɫaʊd/ (US) · /lˈaʊd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/loud
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. high volume

adjective · CEFR A2

making a lot of noise or easy to hear.

For teachers: producing or capable of producing much noise; high in decibel level.

- The music was so loud that I could not hear what she was saying.
- The loud construction noise from the street made it impossible for the researchers to concentrate on their data analysis.

### 2. bright or gaudy

adjective · CEFR B2

having colours or patterns that are too bright and not very tasteful.

For teachers: vulgar or tasteless in colour or design; garish.

- He wore a loud shirt with bright yellow flowers to the office party.
- The interior designer warned that such a loud wallpaper pattern would overwhelm the small guest bedroom.

### 3. strong-smelling or high-quality

adjective · CEFR C1 · Slang

having a very strong smell or being of very high quality.

For teachers: possessing a pungent or powerful odour; used in specific subcultures to denote high-grade products.

- That cheese has a very loud smell that fills the whole kitchen.
- The herbalist noted that the fresh batch of lavender was particularly loud, indicating a high concentration of essential oils.

### 4. with great volume

adverb · CEFR A2

in a way that makes a lot of noise.

For teachers: with high volume; often used in comparative forms or specific idioms like 'out loud'.

- She read the letter out loud so everyone in the room could hear the news.
- The protesters shouted their slogans loud enough to be heard by the officials inside the parliament building.

Usage: Often used in the fixed phrase 'out loud' or in informal comparisons like 'don't talk so loud'.

### 5. a loud sound

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a sound that is very noisy or the noisy part of a recording.

For teachers: a sound of great intensity or the high-amplitude portion of an audio signal.

- The sudden loud from the engine made the driver pull over immediately.
- The sound engineer adjusted the levels to ensure the louds did not distort the overall clarity of the vocal track.

## Examples

- The music is too loud.
- He had to speak in a loud voice to be heard over the traffic.
- His critics dismissed the suit's loud pattern as a desperate cry for attention in a crowded field of more subtle designs.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.