cacophony

[ kuh-kof-uh-nee ]

noun

, plural ca·coph·o·nies.

1. harsh or unpleasant discordance of sound; dissonance:

   After living in the country, it's difficult for me to adjust to the cacophony produced by city traffic.

2. a discordant and meaningless mixture of sounds:

   The sound effects included a cacophony of hoots, cackles, and wails.

3. Music. frequent use of harsh, discordant notes or chords that seem to be patternless and without connection to each other.

cacophony

/ kəˈkɒfənɪ /

noun

1. harsh discordant sound; dissonance
2. the use of unharmonious or dissonant speech sounds in language

Other Words From

• cac·o·phon·ic [kak-, uh, -, fon, -ik], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of cacophony¹

First recorded in 1650–60; from New Latin cacophonia, from Greek kakophōnía; equivalent to caco- + -phony

Example Sentences

“Most people look at it like, ‘How can I manage this cacophony coming at me?’

From Los Angeles Times

The cacophony of an independence referendum campaign which had echoed through Scotland for three years had died away and Alex Salmond, so often the embodiment of pugnacious self-confidence, appeared pale and drained.

From BBC

After the cacophony of the Trump years, the civility of the 2024 vice presidential debate evoked an earlier era of political discourse.

From Los Angeles Times

Gilmer and her team recently gave an extensive tour of the reborn hall, and the grinding cacophony of final construction was still in the air.

From Los Angeles Times

There’s a cacophony of slamming metal doors, keys jangling, and shouts and screams from inmates as officers race to see what’s happened.

From BBC

Related Words

• noise