loud-mouthed
UK[ˌlaʊd ˈmaʊðd]US[ˌlaʊd ˈmaʊðd]
adj
tending to talk too much and in a loud, offensive, or boastful way
Morpheme Breakdown
loud
mouth
ed
loud
adjective
mouth
noun
ed
adjective suffix
Etymology
The compound adjective "loud-mouthed" is a straightforward descriptive formation from native English elements. It literally describes someone as "having a loud mouth," where "mouth" is a metonym for speech or manner of speaking. The term follows a common Germanic pattern of creating vivid, figurative adjectives by combining a descriptive term with a body part and the adjectival suffix "-ed." Over time, its meaning evolved from the purely literal description to a more abstract and critical characterization of a person who is offensively noisy, boastful, or vociferous in their opinions.
Analysis
Structure: loud (adjective) + mouth (noun) + ed (adjective suffix)
- loud: From Old English hlūd, meaning "making noise, sonorous." It functions as an adjective describing high volume or intensity of sound.
- mouth: From Old English mūþ, meaning "opening through which an animal takes in food." In this compound, it functions as a noun representing the organ of speech.
- ed: A suffix from Old English -ede, used to form adjectives from nouns, meaning "having, provided with, or characterized by."
Examples
He was a loud-mouthed braggart who annoyed everyone at the party.
The manager warned the loud-mouthed customer to lower his voice or leave the premises.
She grew tired of his loud-mouthed opinions on subjects he knew little about.