cacophony

noun

ca·​coph·​o·​ny ka-ˈkä-fə-nē How to pronounce cacophony (audio)
-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.

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 Their mothers, Ola and Karolina, smile at the cacophony: the sounds of a happy family. Rob Schmitz, NPR, 6 Mar. 2024 But while studying the fishes’ brains in a laboratory, a team of researchers in Germany recently decided to investigate the cacophony coming from the creatures’ tanks. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Feb. 2024 Shouting into his mobile phone above the cacophony of engines and horns, the farmer from south of Paris is one of 200 others clogging up the highway into the French capital. Nayla Razzouk, Fortune Europe, 13 Feb. 2024 In Las Vegas, the cacophony of voices, music, ringing slot machines and car horns that typically pulsed through the Las Vegas Strip was replaced by silence, the chirps of birds and the wails of sirens. Alicia Wallace, CNN, 8 Feb. 2024 Combining improvisation with feedback and using a limited set of signal-processing devices, Hendrix evokes a cacophony of explosions, screams, demonic howls, and what sounds like radioactive wind wafting across a battlefield. The New Yorker, 25 Dec. 2023 Backed by the emphatic Make America Great Again movement, Trump and his allies are browbeating Haley to drop out, which is building up a cacophony of conservatives who resent her staying in the race. Phillip M. Bailey, USA TODAY, 4 Feb. 2024 There was a crackle of energy from the presence of chattering bodies in a room and the warm cacophony of string musicians tuning instruments. Carolina A. Miranda, Los Angeles Times, 26 Dec. 2023 Guests have returned, filling the blackjack and roulette tables amid the cacophony of jingling slot machines — the sound of money. Peter S. Goodman Bridget Bennett, New York Times, 5 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cacophony.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of cacophony was circa 1656

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Cite this Entry

“Cacophony.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cacophony. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

cacophony

noun
ca·​coph·​o·​ny ka-ˈkäf-ə-nē How to pronounce cacophony (audio)
plural cacophonies
: harsh unpleasant sound
cacophonous
-ə-nəs
adjective

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