English Reference

Word

loudly

Phoneticsloud·ly

US/ˈɫaʊdɫi/

UK/lˈaʊdli/

Definitions

01with high volume

A2

adv. making a lot of noise so that people can hear you from far away.

adv. at a high volume; in a manner that produces significant sound.

“The children were playing so loudly that I couldn't hear the television.”

“The protesters chanted loudly outside the courthouse, ensuring their demands were heard by the officials inside the building.”

Usage

Typically follows the verb it modifies or the direct object.

Pitfall

He spoke very loud.

He spoke very loudly.

While 'loud' is sometimes used as an adverb in informal speech, 'loudly' is the standard form for most contexts.

Synonyms

noisilyaudibly

Antonyms

02brightly or showily

C1

adv. in a way that is very bright or colorful and catches your attention, often in a way that looks a bit cheap.

adv. in a gaudy or showy manner; used to describe visual patterns or colors that are excessively bright or tasteless.

“He was dressed loudly in a bright neon suit and a gold tie.”

“The hotel lobby was decorated rather loudly, with clashing patterns and vibrant colors that overwhelmed the guests.”

Informal

Teaching tip

This is a figurative use of the word; it compares the 'noise' of a sound to the 'noise' of a very bright visual pattern.

Synonyms

gaudilyflashilyshowily

Antonyms

subtlytastefully

Etymology

From Middle English loudly, equivalent to loud + -ly.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Word family

loudAdjectiveloudlyAdverb

This entry

Level
A2 · Elementary
Frequency
Frequent
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/loudly

English Reference