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

The methodical cacophony of the boat and the temporal collapse of the town clarify his project. —Sam Bodrojan, IndieWire, 7 Sep. 2025

Participation alone seems to be the end goal, the assemblage of a cacophony of voices without any avenues to interrogate the way power is shared or negotiated in collective spaces. —Kate Wagner, Curbed, 5 Sep. 2025

The piercing pops from the firearm were replaced by a different kind of cacophony. —Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2025

For the 30 minutes before the assembly started, the gym was a cacophony of student voices. —Lily Altavena, Freep.com, 26 Aug. 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