ear-splitting

/ˈɪə splɪtɪŋ/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈɪr splɪtɪŋ/ (ame, ipa)

ear-splitting — adjective

1. describes a sound that is so extremely loud and harsh that it causes physical di

1.形容詞B2
釋義

describes a sound that is so extremely loud and harsh that it causes physical discomfort or pain in the ears.

例句

The ear-splitting roar of the fighter jet made the ground shake beneath our feet.

ear-splitting roar (collocation: loud continuous sound)

Neighbours complained about the ear-splitting music coming from the apartment above theirs.

ear-splitting music (collocation: amplified sound)

同義詞
  • deafening

    more common in everyday speech; suggests the sound is so loud you cannot hear anything else

  • piercing

    focuses on high-pitched, sharp sounds rather than deep, rumbling ones

  • shrill

    specifically describes a high-pitched, unpleasant sound that cuts through other noise

反義詞
  • faint

    a sound that is barely audible

  • gentle

    a sound that is soft and pleasant

文法句型

ear-splitting + noun

be + ear-splitting

用法筆記

Often used to describe sudden, unexpected sounds (alarms, explosions, machinery) rather than ongoing background noise. Frequently appears before nouns like 'roar', 'screech', 'scream', or 'noise'.

常見錯誤

❌The music was ear-splitting beautiful.
✅The music was ear-splittingly loud.
💡'ear-splitting' describes volume, not quality; use the adverb 'ear-splittingly' to modify another adjective.
❌I have an ear-splitting headache.
✅I have a splitting headache.
💡'ear-splitting' is for external sounds; 'splitting' is the idiom for headache pain.