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cacophony

kəˈkɑːfəninoun

What does cacophony mean?

A harsh mix of noises that do not go together.

Cacophony, six ways

PlainA harsh mix of noises that do not go together.
ADHDNoise pile-up. Loud. Clashing. Make it stop.
Gen ZWhen every sound in the room is fighting. Car alarms, a kid, a blender.
MetaphorAn orchestra tuning up, forever.
FormalA harsh, discordant mixture of sounds.
Like I’m 5A lot of loud sounds all at once that sound terrible together. That’s a cacophony.

How to pronounce cacophony

kuh-KOF-uh-nee/kəˈkɑːfəni/

Cacophony in a sentence

A cacophony of horns rose from the traffic.
The kids’ recorder practice was a cacophony.
The debate dissolved into a cacophony of interruptions.

Synonyms for cacophony

dinLoud and steady; less clashing.
racketCasual, and usually annoying.
discordClashing sounds, or people who disagree.

Where cacophony comes from

Greek. Kakos, bad, and phōnē, sound.

Good to know

Cacophony is noise that clashes, not just noise that is loud. Its opposite is euphony.

Cacophony meaning, on a Gloss card: A harsh mix of noises that do not go together.

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Cacophony on one card: what it means, how to say it, and a sentence. Keep it, or pin it for later.

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In: Words for the senses · SAT words · Latin and Greek roots