When you first start learning French, you'll likely pick up 'fort' or 'bruyant' as the standard ways to say 'loud'. But the French language, with its rich tapestry of expressions, offers so much more than just a couple of options! Whether you're describing a booming concert, a boisterous crowd, or a simply noisy situation, having a variety of words at your disposal will make your French sound much more natural and precise. Let's explore some excellent alternatives to express 'loud' in French!

The 'strong' or 'high' (for sound volume) – fort/forte

The adjective fort/forte in French primarily means 'strong', but it also commonly translates to 'loud' or 'high' when referring to sound volume.

Like many French adjectives, fort must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. You'll encounter it in these forms: fort (masculine singular), forte (feminine singular), forts (masculine plural), fortes (feminine plural).

Its most common meaning is 'strong'. This can refer to physical strength, mental fortitude, a strong taste or smell, a strong argument, or even a strong current.

When describing sounds, fort/forte means 'loud' or 'high in volume'. It's frequently used with words like voix (voice), musique (music), or bruit (noise).

Interestingly, fort can also be used as an adverb, meaning 'very' or 'strongly', often preceding another adjective or verb. For example, Il travaille fort (He works hard/strongly) or C'est fort intéressant (It's very interesting).

A useful idiomatic expression is être fort en + noun/gerund, which means 'to be good at something' or 'to be strong in a subject'. For instance, Elle est forte en maths (She is good at math).

While fort describes general strength, words like costaud (burly, sturdy) or robuste (robust) can offer more specific nuances for physical build.

For mental strength or resilience, fort is perfectly appropriate, as in Elle est très forte face à l'adversité (She is very strong in the face of adversity).

As with many versatile French words, the precise meaning of fort/forte is usually clear from the context of the sentence. Pay attention to the noun it modifies and the overall situation.

💡 * Il est très fort en sport. (He is very good at sports.)

Elle a une voix très forte. (She has a very loud voice.)

Le café est trop fort pour moi. (The coffee is too strong for me.)

C'est une femme forte et indépendante. (She is a strong and independent woman.)

Écoutez bien, le vent souffle fort. (Listen carefully, the wind is blowing strongly.)

The 'noisy' or 'making a lot of noise' – bruyant/bruyante

The adjective for “noisy” or “making a lot of noise” – bruyant/bruyante

In French, to describe something or someone as "noisy" or "making a lot of noise," you use the adjective bruyant (masculine singular) or bruyante (feminine singular). Like most French adjectives, it must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies.

The four forms are: bruyant (masculine singular), bruyante (feminine singular), bruyants (masculine plural), and bruyantes (feminine plural).

You can use bruyant/bruyante to describe people, children, or animals that are making a lot of sound. For instance, a "noisy child" would be un enfant bruyant or une enfant bruyante (depending on the child's gender).

It's also commonly used for objects, places, or situations that produce significant noise. A "noisy street" is une rue bruyante, and a "noisy engine" is un moteur bruyant.

Generally, bruyant/bruyante carries a slightly negative connotation, implying that the noise is disruptive or excessive. However, in some contexts, it can simply be descriptive without strong judgment, like describing a lively, "noisy party" (une fête bruyante).

The noun form is le bruit (masculine), meaning "noise." So, something bruyant is something that makes du bruit.

💡 * Le chien est très bruyant. (The dog is very noisy.)

Ces enfants sont bruyants. (These children are noisy.)

J'habite dans un quartier bruyant. (I live in a noisy neighborhood.)

La machine à laver est très bruyante. (The washing machine is very noisy.)

Elle a une voix bruyante quand elle rit. (She has a loud/noisy voice when she laughs.)

The 'deafening' or 'ear-splitting' – assourdissant/assourdissante

To describe something as truly deafening or ear-splitting in French, you'll use the adjective assourdissant (masculine) or assourdissante (feminine).

This powerful adjective comes from the verb assourdir, meaning 'to deafen.' It conveys a level of noise so intense it's painful or overwhelming to the ears.

Like most French adjectives, assourdissant must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies: assourdissant (masculine singular), assourdissante (feminine singular), assourdissants (masculine plural), and assourdissantes (feminine plural).

Its primary use is to describe physical sounds that are extraordinarily loud, such as a bruit assourdissant (a deafening noise), musique assourdissante (deafening music), or cris assourdissants (ear-splitting screams).

Interestingly, assourdissant can also be used figuratively to describe a silence assourdissant (a deafening silence). This highlights a silence so profound or unexpected that it feels overwhelming, much like a loud noise.

When you need to emphasize that a sound isn't just loud (fort), but truly overpowering or painful, assourdissant is the perfect word. It's often used for sudden, intense noises or environments.

💡 * Le concert était assourdissant. (The concert was deafening.)

Elle a poussé un cri assourdissant. (She let out an ear-splitting scream.)

Après l'explosion, un silence assourdissant a suivi. (After the explosion, a deafening silence followed.)

Le bruit des machines est assourdissant dans l'usine. (The noise of the machines is deafening in the factory.)

The 'boisterous' or 'rowdy' (for a person or group) – tapageur/tapageuse

The French adjectives tapageur (masculine) and tapageuse (feminine) are used to describe someone or a group that is 'boisterous,' 'rowdy,' or 'noisy' in a disruptive way.

This term implies a level of loud and sometimes unruly behavior, often associated with making a "tapage" (a racket or uproar). It goes beyond just being loud; it suggests a disruptive or attention-seeking noisiness.

It can apply to individuals, but is frequently used for groups, like a foule tapageuse (a rowdy crowd) or des voisins tapageurs (noisy neighbors). The connotation is generally negative, implying a lack of consideration.

As an adjective, tapageur agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies. The feminine form is tapageuse, and the plural forms are tapageurs (masculine plural) and tapageuses (feminine plural).

💡 * Un groupe de jeunes tapageurs a perturbé la soirée. (A group of rowdy young people disturbed the evening.)

Elle est un peu tapageuse quand elle rit. (She's a bit boisterous when she laughs.)

Les manifestants étaient tapageurs mais pacifiques. (The demonstrators were noisy but peaceful.)

Nous avons des voisins très tapageurs. (We have very noisy neighbors.)

Sa voix tapageuse remplissait la pièce. (Her boisterous voice filled the room.)

The 'at full volume' (for music or sound) – à fond

In French, the expression à fond is commonly used to mean 'at full volume' or 'to the maximum' when referring to music, television, or any sound source.

It conveys the idea of pushing the sound intensity to its absolute limit, often implying a desire for maximum impact, immersion, or enjoyment.

You'll most often hear à fond paired with verbs such as mettre (to put), monter (to turn up), or écouter (to listen to) when discussing audio levels.

While it has other meanings like 'at full speed' (for vehicles) or 'thoroughly' (for effort), its application to sound is very distinct and widely understood.

This phrase is a very natural and frequently used part of everyday French, fitting perfectly into informal and casual conversations about media consumption.

💡 * Mets la musique à fond ! (Turn the music up full blast!)

J'adore cette chanson, je l'écoute toujours à fond. (I love this song, I always listen to it at full volume.)

Le voisin met sa télé à fond tous les soirs. (The neighbor puts his TV on full blast every night.)

Pourquoi tu ne mets pas le son à fond ? (Why don't you turn the sound all the way up?)

On a écouté le nouvel album à fond dans la voiture. (We listened to the new album at full volume in the car.)

The 'resounding' or 'booming' – retentissant/retentissante

The French adjective retentissant (masculine singular) or retentissante (feminine singular) translates most directly to “resounding,” “booming,” or “echoing.” It describes something that produces a loud, vibrant, or prolonged sound.

This adjective isn't just about volume; it often implies a sound that reverberates or echoes, creating a strong impression. Think of a deep gong, a thunderclap, or a powerful speech that leaves a lasting auditory mark.

Beyond literal sound, retentissant can also describe something that has a significant impact or sensation, making a strong impression on people or having widespread repercussions. This could apply to an event, a scandal, a success, or a powerful emotion.

You'll often hear it in phrases like un succès retentissant (a resounding success), un scandale retentissant (a resounding scandal), or un discours retentissant (a booming/impactful speech). It conveys a sense of magnitude and widespread notice, whether positive or negative.

Remember, as an adjective, retentissant agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies (e.g., des applaudissements retentissants - resounding applause). It’s a powerful word to describe something that makes a big splash, whether audibly or figuratively, leaving a strong impression.

💡 * Le tonnerre a produit un bruit retentissant. (The thunder produced a booming sound.)

Son discours a eu un effet retentissant sur l'audience. (His speech had a resounding effect on the audience.)

Ce fut un succès retentissant pour l'entreprise. (It was a resounding success for the company.)

Les applaudissements étaient retentissants après la performance. (The applause was resounding after the performance.)

Un scandale retentissant a éclaté hier. (A resounding scandal broke out yesterday.)

The 'shrill' or 'piercing' (for a voice or cry) – criard/criarde

When describing a voice or a cry that is high-pitched, loud, and often unpleasant, the French adjective to use is criard (masculine) or criarde (feminine). It literally translates to 'shrill' or 'piercing'.

As an adjective, criard/criarde must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. For example, you would say une voix criarde (a shrill voice) or des cris criards (piercing cries).

Beyond just 'shrill,' criard/criarde often carries a connotation of being harsh, strident, or jarring to the ear, implying a certain unpleasantness or lack of harmony. While primarily used for sounds, it can also describe colors that are too bright or garish.

💡 * Sa voix est devenue criarde quand elle s'est mise en colère. (Her voice became shrill when she got angry.)

Le bébé a poussé un cri criard qui a réveillé tout le quartier. (The baby let out a piercing cry that woke up the whole neighborhood.)

J'ai entendu des rires criards provenant de la cour de récréation. (I heard shrill laughter coming from the playground.)

Il déteste les alarmes avec un son trop criard. (He hates alarms with a sound that's too piercing.)

The 'at a high voice' or 'aloud' – à voix haute

To express the idea of speaking or reading “aloud” or “out loud” in French, the phrase you’ll use is à voix haute.

À voix haute directly translates to “at a high voice,” but its practical meaning is “aloud” or “out loud.” It’s used to specify that an action, like reading or speaking, is done audibly rather than silently or internally.

You’ll often find à voix haute paired with verbs such as lire (to read), parler (to speak), or dire (to say) to indicate that the sound is produced for others to hear, or simply not silently.

💡 * Il a lu le poème à voix haute. (He read the poem aloud.)

Peux-tu parler à voix haute s'il te plaît ? Je n'entends rien. (Can you speak out loud, please? I can't hear anything.)

Elle a dit son nom à voix haute. (She said her name aloud.)

L'enseignant demande aux élèves de lire à voix haute. (The teacher asks the students to read aloud.)

The 'making a racket' or 'creating an uproar' – faire du vacarme

The French expression for 'making a racket' or 'creating an uproar' is faire du vacarme. This phrase is commonly used to describe loud, disruptive noise or a commotion.

Literally, faire means 'to make' or 'to do', du is a partitive article (meaning 'some'), and vacarme translates to 'racket', 'din', 'uproar', or 'commotion'. So, it literally means 'to make some racket'.

Faire du vacarme is used when describing a situation where people, animals, or even objects are creating a significant amount of disturbing noise. It implies a sense of disorder or excessive sound, often to the annoyance of others.

While not overly formal, faire du vacarme is a standard expression. It's appropriate in most contexts, from describing children playing loudly to a public disturbance, and is widely understood.

Similar expressions include faire du bruit (to make noise), which is more general and doesn't always imply disturbance, and faire du tapage (to make a din/racket), which often carries a stronger connotation of public disturbance or even illegal noise pollution.

💡 *Les enfants faisaient du vacarme dans le jardin. (The children were making a racket in the garden.)
*Arrêtez de faire du vacarme, s'il vous plaît ! (Please stop making a racket!)
*Le chat a fait du vacarme toute la nuit. (The cat made a racket all night.)
*La foule en colère a commencé à faire du vacarme. (The angry crowd started to create an uproar.)
*Son arrivée tardive a fait du vacarme dans le couloir. (His late arrival made a racket in the hallway.)

Are there other ways to say 'loud' in French?

Are there other ways to say “loud” in French?

Our list features the most common ways to say “loud” in French. However, French, like any rich language, offers a spectrum of expressions, from specific adjectives for sound intensity to terms describing a boisterous personality or even a vibrant color!

To delve deeper, you can also do an online search for “synonymes de bruyant” or “synonymes de fort” to explore more nuanced options.

You might find many interesting synonyms for bruyant or fort. Of course, always make sure to check a word’s definition and try to see it used in context before you incorporate it into your vocabulary.

Pay attention as you read, watch, and listen to things in French — you may discover different ways to describe various types of 'loudness' in specific situations.

And if you’re looking for a comprehensive list of synonyms and related expressions for 'loud' in French, the WordReference entries for bruyant and fort are excellent places to start!

I hope you found this article helpful in navigating the nuances of 'loud' in French. Here’s a thought to finish with, reminding us of the power of words in context: "Les mots sont comme des notes de musique; c'est leur arrangement qui fait la mélodie." (Words are like musical notes; it's their arrangement that makes the melody.)

9 ways to say "loud" in French