cacophony

American  

[kuh-kof-uh-nee] / kəˈkɒf ə ni /

noun

plural

cacophonies

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.

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cacophony British  

/ kəˈkɒfənɪ /

noun

1. harsh discordant sound; dissonance

2. the use of unharmonious or dissonant speech sounds in language

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Other Word Forms

• cacophonic adjective

Etymology

Origin of cacophony

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

Example Sentences

Among Labour MPs, while there is unease, some now public, some private, there doesn't appear at this stage to be an overwhelming cacophony of noisy opposition to Downing Street's position.

From BBC

Lam Thanh, 50, who manages a dormitory for workers near one of Ho Chi Minh City's estimated 1,000 courts, says the cacophony is proving to be costly.

From Barron's

The intense focus of the dozen people in the room radiates an aura of calm despite the cacophony of medical machinery beeping and pumping away.

From BBC

It's that time of year when winter viruses take hold, and a cacophony of coughs fill households, offices and public transport.

From BBC

Pavements remain scarred by bullet holes and ruined buildings still line many streets, but the city's cacophony is now one of construction, not destruction.

From Barron's

Related Words

• noise