throated

Meanings

1. 1adjectivebefore a noun

   Having a throat of a stated color, shape or sound; used as the second part of a compound word.

   Grammar: Always joined to a describing word with a hyphen: a red-throated bird.

   Patterns

   • adjective + throated

   The red-throated diver is a rare visitor to our coast.

   A white-throated sparrow sang from the hedge.

   The ruby-throated hummingbird beat its wings faster than the eye could follow.

2. 2adjectivebefore a noun

   Producing a voice or sound of a particular kind from the throat; used in compounds describing a singer or a call.

   Grammar: Also hyphenated: a full-throated cheer; a deep-throated roar.

   Patterns

   • full-throated + noun
   • deep-throated + noun

   The crowd gave a full-throated cheer when the team scored.

   A deep-throated rumble came from the old motorcycle.

   She joined in with a full-throated rendition of the anthem.

Common combinations

full-throated

The choir sang a full-throated hymn.

red-throated

A red-throated bird flashed past the window.

deep-throated

A deep-throated growl came from the dog.

white-throated

The white-throated sparrow is easy to recognize by its song.

ruby-throated

The ruby-throated hummingbird visits our feeder every morning.

Synonyms and how they differ

throaty

Throaty describes a husky, low sound on its own, while throated only works inside a compound.

husky

Husky describes a rough, dry voice and does not need a first element.

hearty

Hearty suggests warm, strong enthusiasm, not specifically a sound from the throat.

Opposites

Word family

throat noun

the passage at the front of the neck

throaty adjective

deep and rough, as a voice or laugh

throatily adverb

in a deep, rough way

throatiness noun

the quality of sounding deep and husky

Commonly confused: throated or throaty?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “throated”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words