cacophonous

adjective

ca·​coph·​o·​nous ka-ˈkä-fə-nəs 

-ˈkȯ-,

 also  -ˈka-

: marked by cacophony : harsh-sounding

like an old battlefield, once cacophonous with the clash of steel, the roar of cannon, the screams of wounded and dying men

—Brian Moore

cacophonously adverb

Synonyms

• shrill
• dissonant
• noisy
• unpleasant

Examples of cacophonous in a Sentence

the cacophonous chaos on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange

Recent Examples on the Web

Apart from the occasional timid car—and the less timid, cacophonous crows—the East Nashville community appeared to be following weather warnings and taking advantage of the cozy Friday at home. —Kirsten Fiscus, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025

As ovaries decline, hormones change, and a harmonious symphony can turn into a cacophonous noise, impacting the entire body. —Karina Zaiets, USA Today, 30 June 2025

Baltimore deserves credit for stepping up and sending Tullis-Joyce the wrong way, particularly against a cacophonous backdrop of angry United fans behind that goal. —Michael Cox, New York Times, 18 May 2025

Episode 2, set at Jamie’s school just a few days after the incident, thrives in the chaos of innumerable moving pieces as kids push through crowded passageways, cram inside cacophonous classrooms, and even parade out to the playground during an unexpected fire drill. —Ben Travers, IndieWire, 13 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin cacophōnus (borrowed from Greek kakóphōnos "disagreeable-sounding," from kako- caco- + -phōnos "having a sound [of the kind specified]," adjective derivative of phōnḗ "sound made by something living, voice, speech") + -ous — more at phono-

First Known Use

1782, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for cacophonous

• saphenous