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

Explanation

A cacophony is a mishmash of unpleasant sounds, often at loud volume. It's what you'd hear if you gave instruments to a group of four-year-olds and asked them to play one of Beethoven's symphonies. A cacophony is a jarring, discordant mix of sounds that have no business being played together. When the orchestra tunes up before a show, it sounds like a cacophony because each musician is playing a completely different tune, at different times, and at different volumes. Once the show begins, that cacophony had better turn into a melody, or audiences will demand a refund. This allegedly occurred during the first time Igor Stravinsky's score for the ballet "The Rite of Spring" was performed because its difficult composition and discordant tone was shocking.

Example Sentences

And in floundering the ending, “Undertone” reminds us that tranquility can be far more unsettling than a cacophony of sight and sound.

From Salon • Mar. 15, 2026

But elimination was especially painful as a superb performance and goals from Manuel Locatelli, Federico Gatti and Weston McKennie took the tie to extra time in a cacophony of noise.

From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026

“What a Wonderful World” treats dissonance, cacophony and intensity as metaphors for daily life.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 3, 2026

The Empire State Building in bustling Manhattan is now equipped with super sensitive microphones, tuning into bird calls and the slightest flutter of insects amid the cacophony of the concrete jungle.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 2, 2026

I almost lose myself in the dreamy soundtrack until the cacophony of discordant ringtones starts.

From "Love, Hate & Other Filters" by Samira Ahmed

Related Words

• noise