rhizoverbBeta
DictionarycacophonyDiscordant mixture
noun

cacophony

kuh-KAH-fuh-nee/kəˈkɑːfəni/

A harsh, jarring mixture of sounds or other clashing elements.

The drill, barking dog, and clattering lids create a cacophony.

An older man clamps his hands over his ears and winces amid simultaneous, visibly active noise sources: a pneumatic drill breaking pavement, a barking dog, and a rattling metal refuse bin spilling clanging lids.
Etymology
cacoGreekbad, evil
+phonyGreekvoice, sound

The pieces express “bad sound”: the original compound described harsh sounding. A cacophony is an unpleasant clash of sounds, not simply a loud noise.

In context

Naked Science59:40
a cacophony of sloshes beats and burps mark the passage of food blood and air
Life Before Birth - In the Womb

More examples

  • The rehearsal began in cacophony.
  • The clashing patterns created a visual cacophony.
  • He struggled to hear through the cacophony.

Forms

cacophony · cacophonies

Similar words

din
Din is loud noise; cacophony emphasizes harsh clashes among different sounds.
discord
Discord is lack of harmony; cacophony suggests a conspicuous mixture of jarring elements.