In Greek, stenein means "moan or groan." Stenein probably influenced the name of Stentor, a character briefly mentioned in Homer's epic poem the Iliad.

This Stentor has a loud voice. Not just a little loud, but over fifty times louder than the average voice. That's quite useful if you're commanding (or just encouraging) a group of soldiers. Let's check out that spot in the poem, from Alexander Pope's translation:

The best and bravest of the Grecian band
(A warlike circle) round Tydides stand.
Such was their look as lions bathed in blood,
Or foaming boars, the terror of the wood
Heaven's empress mingles with the mortal crowd,
And shouts, in Stentor's sounding voice, aloud;
Stentor the strong, endued with brazen lungs,
Whose throats surpass'd the force of fifty tongues.

Since the 1600s, then, we've used the word "stentorian" to describe voices that are extremely loud and far-reaching in a way that reminds us of brazen trumpets of war. 

Parts of speech:

Adjective: "a stentorian voice."

Other forms: 

In older texts, you'll see it capitalized, reflecting how it came from a character's name. Here's a 1606 text: "Whose Stentorian sound Doth far and wide o'r all the world redound."

The noun is "stentor." It's rare, but you could refer to people with booming voices as stentors.

how to use it:

Pick the semi-common, super-scholarly word "stentorian" to call extra attention to how extremely loud something is, usually someone's voice.

Although we most often talk about stentorian voices, we can talk about any stentorian sound, like thunder, music, instruments, alarms, speeches, performances, etc.

examples:

"A voice once stentorian is now again meek and muffled."
 — Fiona Apple, "Oh Well," 2005

"[The voice] was there, hanging in open air — stentorian and petrifying in its effects. 'GREGORY POWELL! MICHAEL DONOVAN! GREGORY POWELL! MICHAEL DONOVAN! PLEASE REPORT YOUR PRESENT POSITIONS.'"
— Isaac Asimov, I, Robot, 1950

has this page helped you understand "stentorian"?

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study it:

Explain the meaning of "stentorian" without saying "booming" or "blaring."

try it out:

Fill in the blanks: "In a stentorian voice, (someone) (orders or commands something)."

Example: "In a stentorian voice, Mr. Duvall orders the rampaging girls to report to the gymnasium."

(Source)

If you like, use this space to write. (To save your work, copy and paste it into an email or a document.)

before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game for this month is "Spot the Sharper Image."

Which of the two items described below is a real one that you can order from the Sharper Image catalog, and which one did I invent? Scroll to the bottom to see which one is real!

Try this set today:

Item A: Cordless Electric Butter Sprayer. "Makes it easy to add butter to your favorite foods."

Item B: Motion-Activated Fridge Cam With Night Vision. "Who's been stealing your leftover macaroni in the night? Catch the culprit on crystal-clear video in 1280x720P."

review this word:

1. One close opposite of STENTORIAN is

A. TINY.
B. BENDY.
C. HUSHED.

2. The word "stentorian" has always been associated in English with _____, so like you'd expect, "stentors" are microbes shaped like _____.

A. church bells .. bells
B. trumpets of war .. trumpets
C. delicate woodwinds .. flutes

Answers to the review questions: 1. C 2. B Answer to the game question: You truly can order a Cordless Electric Butter Sprayer from the Sharper Image catalog.

a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From my blog: On vocabulary...       36 ways to study words.       Why we forget words, & how to remember them.       How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. On writing...       How to improve any sentence.       How to motivate our kids to write.       How to stop procrastinating and start writing.       How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count. From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.