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

If you’re hooked on phonetics, you may know that the Greek word phōnḗ has made a great deal of noise in English. Cacophony comes from a joining of phōnḗ ("sound" or "voice") with the Greek prefix kak- (from kakos, meaning "bad"), so it essentially means "bad sound." Other phat phōnḗ descendants include symphony, a word that indicates harmony or agreement in sound; polyphony, referring to a style of musical composition in which two or more independent melodies are juxtaposed in harmony; and euphony, a word for a pleasing or sweet sound. Kakos is responsible for far fewer English words, but one notable descendent is kakistocracy, meaning "government by the worst people," which, we'll be honest, doesn't sound great.

Synonyms

• noise
• roar
• rattle
• chatter

Examples of cacophony in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples on the Web

For more than two hours, YELLOWUHURU cycles through warm and woozy variants of house music, with an emphasis on echoing sound, gentle cacophony, and noises that seem to be melting. —Richard Brody, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2025

As the group files safely past the battalion of Canada geese and closer to the Downtown Canal Walk at the southern part of Military Park, smooth jazz emanating from the Indiana State Museum’s entrance replaces the construction crew’s cacophony. —Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 22 Sep. 2025

While the standalone matches of the weekend brought a more communal feel around the central stage, the slate of four matches going on brought a cacophony of noise throughout. —Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 20 Sep. 2025

But here the Giants were, the cacophony to Kershaw’s swan song. —Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 20 Sep. 2025

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

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Kids Definition

cacophony

noun

ca·​coph·​o·​ny ka-ˈkäf-ə-nē 

plural cacophonies

: harsh unpleasant sound

cacophonous

-ə-nəs

adjective