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cacophony

cacophony

14 8.4
A loud, unpleasant mix of different sounds
  • noun
  • /kæˈkɑfəni/
translation icon : cacofonía
  • Major Habersham entered the dining room amidst a cacophony of loud voices, boots on wood, and confusion.
  • cacophony of voices
  • cacophony of sound

Examples

  • The cockpit is a cacophony of alarms and lights; the horizon outside is tilted.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • It's our sacred mission, to take the cacophony of sounds around us and turn it into a song.

  • This central image presents us with the idea of a cacophony of sound, and it's quite easy to see why.

  • You know me that I love a certain amount of visual cacophony around me.

  • Congress lacks a single voice; it is a cacophony of voices, often in conflict.

    Academic text (2000)
  • The pier house is filled with discordant music, a cacophony of rock and rap.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • Outside his cubicle, Howard could hear a cacophony of ringing phones, typing, and conversation.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • Outside his cubicle, Howard could hear a cacophony of ringing phones, typing, and conversation.

  • Suddenly, there was the unmistakable cacophony that only a pack of teenagers can make.

  • The music is terrifying: discordant noise and a cacophony of angry, indistinguishable voices.

Synonyms

noise
vscacophony
1.0

A loud, unpleasant sound that disturbs you

is specifically a harsh, discordant mixture of unpleasant sounds rather than any single sound
din
vscacophony
28 3.9

Loud, unpleasant noise that continues and comes from many sources

is similarly loud but stresses discordant mixture rather than mere volume from many sources
clank
vscacophony
15 5.2

A loud metallic sound that often repeats or echoes

is about a messy blend of unpleasant sounds, not only single metallic echoes
clamor
vscacophony
  • US
15 6.0

A loud noise by people demanding change

is an unpleasant mixture of sounds rather than a crowd's vocal outcry
jangle
vscacophony
10 6.5

A harsh metal ringing sound like keys or coins

covers a wider set of harsh sounds, not only metallic ringing
blare
vscacophony
9 4.2

A loud harsh sound that hurts your ears, like an alarm or horn

involves many discordant sounds mixed together rather than one standout loud noise
dissonance
vscacophony
  • Specialized
2 7.7

A harsh or unpleasant combination of sounds often in music

is a broader harsh mixture of loud unpleasant sounds, not only musical clash
stridency
vscacophony
1 8.5

A loud, harsh, high sound that hurts your ears

is broader, involving many unpleasant sounds, not just high pitch
shrillness
vscacophony
1 5.6

A high, sharp sound from a voice or alarm that hurts your ears

is a multi-source harsh mixture rather than a single sharp high pitch
raucousness
vscacophony
1 7.5

Loud, rough, and noisy behavior that disturbs others

is about a harsh mixture of sounds rather than crowd disorder or boisterousness
noisiness
vscacophony
1 2.5

Loud sounds that continue and make it hard to think or sleep

emphasizes a violent mixture of unpleasant sounds rather than general loudness
clangor
vscacophony
1 8.4

A loud, continuous ringing metal sound like bells or machines

is a broader clash of unpleasant sounds, not limited to metallic repetition
discordance
vscacophony
8.4

A harsh, unpleasant mix of sounds that do not match

focuses on a wider mixture of loud unpleasant noises rather than just lack of harmony
racketiness
vscacophony
9.0

A loud, constant noise that makes it hard to think

is more about varied unpleasant sounds mixed together rather than steady disturbance
clangoring
vscacophony
9.1

A loud metallic sound that repeats, like bells ringing

is a mixed set of harsh sounds rather than repetitive metallic ringing
shrilling
vscacophony
7.4

A long, very high sound that hurts the ears

refers to a mixture of harsh sounds rather than a single piercing tone

Antonyms

146 1.8

A series of musical notes that form the main tune of a song

14 3.2

A pleasing arrangement of parts that go well together, like colors or sounds

How Harsh

cacophony
14 8.4
clamor
  • US
15 6.0
din
28 3.9
noise
1.0

Surface Forms

cacophony singular
cacophonies plural

Morphology

cacophony = caco + phon + y

Formed from Greek combining elements meaning 'bad' + 'sound', but these elements are not productive or recognizable to average B1 learners, so the meaning cannot be reliably derived from the parts.

Etymology

The word cacophony comes from Greek parts cac- meaning 'bad' and phōnē meaning 'sound'. So a cacophony is literally a 'bad sound', a loud, unpleasant mix of noises and the opposite of a symphony which means 'sounds together'.