Cacophony
— harsh discordant sounds; noise
Cacophony means a harsh, jarring mixture of sounds — noise that is unpleasant, discordant, and chaotic. It is the opposite of harmony or melody.
A cacophony of car horns, a cacophony of voices, or a cacophony of construction noise all describe soundscapes where clashing, ugly sounds combine into something overwhelming and grating. The word is also used figuratively: a cacophony of conflicting opinions means a chaotic clash of ideas. In every usage, cacophony implies that the sounds (or ideas) are fighting each other rather than blending.
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Memory Mnemonic
COCK OH FUNNY
The keyword COCK OH FUNNY comes from how Cacophony sounds when spoken aloud. This pronunciation connection makes it easy to recall the keyword whenever you hear or see the word.
Memory Link
The COCK crowed "OH FUNNY!"—but it was harsh noise, not music!
Picture a COCK crowing loudly — "OH FUNNY!" — but it is anything but funny. The sound is harsh, grating, clashing with every other noise in the barnyard. Visualise roosters, dogs, goats, and machinery all blaring at once, each sound fighting the others in an ugly, discordant wall of noise. That jarring, unpleasant clash of sounds is a cacophony.
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Usage Examples
- The cacophony of jackhammers, car alarms, and shouting vendors made conversation impossible on the street.
- When the orchestra began tuning their instruments simultaneously, the cacophony filled the concert hall.
- The debate quickly descended into a cacophony of raised voices, with no one listening to anyone else.
- A cacophony of barking dogs echoed through the neighborhood every evening at sunset.
- The experimental music piece was deliberately composed as a cacophony to challenge the audience's expectations.
Etymology of Cacophony
From Greek kakophonia, meaning "bad sound," from kakos (bad, ugly) + phone (voice, sound). The word entered English in the mid-17th century and has always described harsh, discordant noise. Its opposite, euphony (pleasant sound), shares the same Greek root for sound.
Synonyms & Antonyms of Cacophony
Synonyms
Antonyms
Common Collocations with Cacophony
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