cacophony

noun

ca·coph·o·ny ka-ˈkä-fə-nē How to pronounce cacophony (audio)

-ˈkȯ-,

also -ˈka-

plural cacophonies

: harsh or jarring sound : dissonance sense 2

specifically : harshness in the sound of words or phrases

: an incongruous or chaotic mixture : a striking combination

a cacophony of color

a cacophony of smells

Did you know?

Cacophony Is a Noisy Word

Words that descend from the Greek word phōnē are making noise in English. Why? Because phōnē means "sound" or "voice." Cacophony comes from a joining of the Greek prefix kak- (from kakos,meaning "bad") with phōnē, so it essentially means "bad sound." Symphony, a word that indicates harmony or agreement in sound, traces to phōnē and the Greek prefix syn-, which means "together." Polyphony refers to a style of musical composition in which two or more independent melodies are juxtaposed in harmony, and it comes from a combination of phōnē and the Greek prefix poly-, meaning "many." And euphony, a word for a pleasing or sweet sound, combines phōnē with eu-, a prefix that means "good."

Example Sentences

The cacophony of phlegmatic and tubercular lungs was punctuated here and there by a moan or a scream of someone terrified, thrashing in the throes of a nightmare.

Ronald Gearles, Undoing Time, 2001 Seething gas just beneath the sun's visible surface generates a cacophony of sound waves that ring the sun like a giant bell.

R. Cowen, Science News, 18 Mar. 2000 Shell casings littered the highway, where a cacophony of car alarms and sobbing rent the winter air.

Jeff Stein, GQ, December 1997 … no matter how forbearing he might have been, there were times when he simply needed to escape that cacophony of piping voices …

T. Coraghessan Boyle, The Road to Wellville, 1993 The sounds of shouting added to the cacophony on the streets. the cacophony of a pet store full of animals See More

Recent Examples on the Web The cacophony of voices would, of course, be discomfiting, but debate was essential to a healthy democracy.

New York Times, 8 July 2021 In the predawn hours of July 12, Fourtner and his crew finally took a few hours to sleep, four of them collapsing into cabin bunks in a cacophony of snores and a fifth on a mat in the galley.

Anchorage Daily News, 28 Aug. 2022 Across the river, the streets in Sievierodonetsk were at moments eerily quiet, at other times a cacophony of gunshots and explosions.

New York Times, 9 June 2022 If experienced with a group, for example, the result could be a chaotic cacophony of voices melding or even clashing together.

Seth Combs Writer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Jan. 2022 Fiori was welcomed to a cacophony of cheers from his excited teammates once the record was officially announced.

Jacob Steinberg, Baltimore Sun, 21 July 2022 Others joined in, and the situation quickly escalated to a cacophony of shouting.

Olivia Krauth, The Courier-Journal, 23 June 2021 For those whose power to control their environment is so extremely limited, the sweet cacophony of toppling pins in a bowling alley is nothing short of miraculous.

Kate Santich, Orlando Sentinel, 1 Aug. 2022 These reef-dwelling creatures snap their claws to unleash jets of water that stun prey, producing a staticky-sounding, 210-decibel cacophony—as loud as a rock concert.

Kate Golembiewski, Scientific American, 27 July 2022 See More

单词	cacophony
释义	cacophony noun ca·coph·o·ny ka-ˈkä-fə-nē -ˈkȯ-, also -ˈka- plural cacophonies 1 : harsh or jarring sound : dissonance sense 2 specifically : harshness in the sound of words or phrases 2 : an incongruous or chaotic mixture : a striking combination a cacophony of color a cacophony of smells Did you know? Cacophony Is a Noisy Word Words that descend from the Greek word phōnē are making noise in English. Why? Because phōnē means "sound" or "voice." Cacophony comes from a joining of the Greek prefix kak- (from kakos,meaning "bad") with phōnē, so it essentially means "bad sound." Symphony, a word that indicates harmony or agreement in sound, traces to phōnē and the Greek prefix syn-, which means "together." Polyphony refers to a style of musical composition in which two or more independent melodies are juxtaposed in harmony, and it comes from a combination of phōnē and the Greek prefix poly-, meaning "many." And euphony, a word for a pleasing or sweet sound, combines phōnē with eu-, a prefix that means "good." Synonyms babel blare bluster bowwow brawl bruit [archaic] chatter clamor clangor decibel(s) din discordance katzenjammer noise racket rattle roar See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences The cacophony of phlegmatic and tubercular lungs was punctuated here and there by a moan or a scream of someone terrified, thrashing in the throes of a nightmare. Ronald Gearles, Undoing Time, 2001 Seething gas just beneath the sun's visible surface generates a cacophony of sound waves that ring the sun like a giant bell. R. Cowen, Science News, 18 Mar. 2000 Shell casings littered the highway, where a cacophony of car alarms and sobbing rent the winter air. Jeff Stein, GQ, December 1997 … no matter how forbearing he might have been, there were times when he simply needed to escape that cacophony of piping voices … T. Coraghessan Boyle, The Road to Wellville, 1993 The sounds of shouting added to the cacophony on the streets. the cacophony of a pet store full of animals See More Recent Examples on the Web The cacophony of voices would, of course, be discomfiting, but debate was essential to a healthy democracy. New York Times, 8 July 2021 In the predawn hours of July 12, Fourtner and his crew finally took a few hours to sleep, four of them collapsing into cabin bunks in a cacophony of snores and a fifth on a mat in the galley. Anchorage Daily News, 28 Aug. 2022 Across the river, the streets in Sievierodonetsk were at moments eerily quiet, at other times a cacophony of gunshots and explosions. New York Times, 9 June 2022 If experienced with a group, for example, the result could be a chaotic cacophony of voices melding or even clashing together. Seth Combs Writer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Jan. 2022 Fiori was welcomed to a cacophony of cheers from his excited teammates once the record was officially announced. Jacob Steinberg, Baltimore Sun, 21 July 2022 Others joined in, and the situation quickly escalated to a cacophony of shouting. Olivia Krauth, The Courier-Journal, 23 June 2021 For those whose power to control their environment is so extremely limited, the sweet cacophony of toppling pins in a bowling alley is nothing short of miraculous. Kate Santich, Orlando Sentinel, 1 Aug. 2022 These reef-dwelling creatures snap their claws to unleash jets of water that stun prey, producing a staticky-sounding, 210-decibel cacophony—as loud as a rock concert. Kate Golembiewski, Scientific American, 27 July 2022 See More Word History Etymology borrowed from French & New Latin; French cacophonie, going back to Middle French, borrowed from New Latin cacophōnia, borrowed from Greek kakophōnía, from kakóphōnos "disagreeable-sounding, cacophonous" + -ia -ia entry 1 First Known Use circa 1656, in the meaning defined at sense 1 cacophony noun as in noise loud, confused, and usually inharmonious sound the cacophony of a pet store full of animals Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance noise roar chatter rattle commotion clatter din clamor blare racket clangor discordance babel dissonance bluster bruit discord brawl katzenjammer bang hubbub decibel(s) tumult hullabaloo bowwow uproar jangle rumpus boom furor hurly-burly blast crash clap crack Antonyms & Near Antonyms silence stillness still quiet lull hush calm silentness tranquility quietude serenity tranquillity See More
随便看	earding eardrop eardrop tree eardrops eardrum eardrums eards eared eared grebe eared pheasant eared seal earflap earflaps earflower earful earfuls Earhart earhead earhole earing earings earjewel earl Earl Grey earl marischal

cacophony

noun

Did you know?

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

noun