Audibly means in a way that can be heard. When something happens audibly, it makes a sound loud enough for people's ears to detect. If you sigh audibly during a boring movie, people around you can hear it. If your stomach rumbles audibly during a quiet classroom, your classmates notice.

Audibly is the opposite of silently or inaudibly.

Sometimes people do things audibly on purpose: a teacher might clear her throat audibly to get the class's attention. Other times it happens accidentally: you might gasp audibly when you see a surprise test on your desk. The key is that the sound crosses the threshold from silent to hearable. A barely audible whisper is just loud enough to make out, while an audibly angry voice leaves no doubt about someone's feelings.

Writers often use this word to show that a character's internal feelings have become external and noticeable to others. When someone audibly scoffs at a bad idea or audibly gulps before a scary challenge, their emotions have literally made a sound that others can hear.