cacophonous

[ kuh-kof-uh-nuhs ]

/ kəˈkɒf ə nəs /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR cacophonous ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

having a harsh or discordant sound.

Nearby words

cacography, cacology, cacomelia, cacomistle, caconym, cacophonous, cacophony, cacosmia, cacoëthes, cacqueteuse, cactaceous

Origin of cacophonous

From the Greek word kakóphōnos, dating back to 1790–1800. See caco-, -phone, -ous

SYNONYMS FOR cacophonous

dissonant, strident, grating, raucous.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR cacophonous ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

ca·coph·o·nous·ly, adverbun·ca·coph·o·nous, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for cacophonous

Their shocked glee was cacophonous: for many conservatives, the glitterati of Hollywood are a bunch of sneering atheists.
Matthew McConaughey’s God Moment|William O’Connor|March 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The halftime show, especially, is a cacophonous display of shock and awe.
American Dreams: The Essential Book of 2012|Nathaniel Rich|December 28, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Through the halls resounded the cacophonous clangour of a cracked gong announcing dinner.
The Day of Days|Louis Joseph Vance
Yet again, he talks vaguely of the intricate polyphony of a cosmic orchestra, cacophonous to our dull ears.
A Book of Prefaces|H. L. Mencken

In Orocué they always began their cacophonous serenade at nightfall, and kept it up uninterruptedly until the following morning.
Up the Orinoco and down the Magdalena|H. J. Mozans

British Dictionary definitions for cacophonous

cacophonous

cacophonic (ˌkækəˈfɒnɪk)

/ (kəˈkɒfənəs) /

adjective

jarring in sound; discordant; harsh

Derived Forms

cacophonously or cacophonically, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012