Are you writing a setting where loud noise is present? We want to help you. The following 10 words will illustrate how to describe a noisy place in writing.
1. Cacophony
Definition
- Coarse or unpleasant sound.
- A mix of so many different sounds as to resemble chaos.
Examples
“The cacophonous office was so loud with the sounds of phones ringing and printers copying that I couldn’t hear myself think!”
“His migraine wasn’t getting any better with the cacophony of the parade going by outside.”
How it Adds Description
Cacophony suggests that your character is getting overstimulated by all the different sounds in their environment. This place isn’t just noisy; it’s overwhelmingly noisy to the point that characters can’t separate the outside world from their inside voices.
2. Pandemonium
Definition
- Reckless disturbance.
- Hectic circumstances.
Examples
“I had to cover my ears to block out the absolute pandemonium that was going on around me.”
“Surprisingly, the teacher could hear the little girl softly crying through the pandemonium of the other thirty feral children screaming and running around.”
How it Adds Description
Noise doesn’t come from nothing; there is usually some action involved. Describing the place as being filled with pandemonium helps the reader imagine why the place is so noisy: there’s a lot of movement and excitement about! So much so that the noise from it all has become just as overwhelming as the activity causing it.
3. Rowdy
Definition
Rough or animated, often for base reasons.
Examples
“Why would he choose such a rowdy bar where we couldn’t hear each other speak?”
“Standing at home plate, he couldn’t concentrate on the pitcher for all the rowdy fans heckling him.”
How it Adds Description
Rowdy is a good word for showing your reader that the place is noisy because the people inhabiting it are excitable and probably ready for a fight. It’s a word most people associate with drunk people fighting in the streets, so describing the place as rowdy suggests that people are loud because they are not on their best behavior.
4. Bustling
Definition
Busy or lively with activity.
Examples
“The bustling restaurant was full of the sounds of food being made, dishes being delivered, tables being cleared, and people having a generally happy time.”
“She hated how loud the bustling underground stations were while she waited for her morning train.”
How it Adds Description
Like rowdy, bustling shows your reader what is happening in the environment to cause such a noisy place. Unlike rowdy, bustling suggests that the people and events are more rushed and purposeful, rather than on the verge of violence. This gives the noise a more positive feel to the environment.
5. Thundering
Definition
Tremendously immense, strong, or strange.
Examples
“It was impressive how she could concentrate amidst all the thundering of the airshow.”
“The house shook with the thundering of the hurricane-force winds outside.”
How it Adds Description
Sometimes, noises can be so loud that they actually vibrate the environment, like when music vibrates a speaker from the volume or bass. When you describe that noise as thundering, you are suggesting that the noises are so loud they reverberate and bounce off the walls, shaking everything in the space.
6. Ear-splitting
Definition
Disturbingly deafening or sharp.
Examples
“The hallway was suddenly filled with so much ear-splitting sound that he had to cover his ears.”
“The ear-splitting sounds of the airport made him feel sick to his stomach.”
How it Adds Description
Ear-splitting suggests exactly what it says: the noise is so much and so loud that it hurts the characters’ ears. Use ear-splitting if you want to show that the noise is so loud and unpleasant that it causes people physical pain and they can’t get away from it.
7. Din
Definition
- A blaring and prolonged
- Conflicting clamor.
Examples
“Even with her headphones in and turned up to top volume, she couldn’t drown out the din of the live band downstairs.”
“The lunchroom was a din of students talking and plates clattering together.”
How it Adds Description
A din is a place so full of noise that you can’t really hear any individual sounds. The combination of the different sounds, often at a loud volume, create a sense of noise for noise’s sake. The chaos creates the noise rather than the other way around.
8. Melodious
Definition
Having a beautiful sound, like a melody.
Examples
“The concert hall was full the melodious sound of the orchestra.”
“After setting the needle on the spinning vinyl, her apartment filled with the melodious sound of Handel.”
How it Adds Description
A melody is music that is pleasing to the ear, like a lullaby or soothing piano concerto. While a noisy place is oftentimes unpleasant, describing the sounds as melodious shows that this noisy place is enjoyable to be in instead.
9. Murmuring
Definition
A muted, vague, constant sound.
Examples
“The murmuring in the café distracted her from writing.”
“The PTA meeting was instantly filled with a loud murmuring as the attendees discussed that last, shocking proposal.”
How it Adds Description
Noisy places don’t always have to be loud; sometimes noisy places are just full of a consistent sound that can be equally as overwhelming. Use murmuring if you want to show a noisy place caused by such a consistent sound, particularly if the sound comes from lots of conversations being had in a small space at the same time.
10. Tumultuous
Definition
- Noisy, enthusiastic, and passionate.
- Overwhelming turmoil or disorder.
Examples
“The concert hall erupted into tumultuous applause after she finished her recital piece.”
“The battlefield was a tumultuous place full of mortar blasts and gunfire.”
How it Adds Description
When you need to show that the environment is full of an overwhelming and emotional noise, then tumultuous gives the reader a sense of that energy. The noise often comes from something powerful, like bombs, or something surprising, like sudden applause. Tumultuous can be positive or negative, so use it to have the reader feel shocked by the noise that fills the environment rather than happy or upset by it.