cacophony
Say it: kuh-KOF-uh-nee /kəˈkɑfəni/ · noun
What “cacophony” means
A loud, unpleasant jumble of clashing sounds.
More precisely: A harsh, jarring mix of loud sounds.
Example: “The open-plan office was a cacophony of phone calls, keyboards and a broken printer.”
When to use it
For several harsh sounds clashing at once, such as horns and shouting. A vivid, slightly literary word for unpleasant noise.
Memory trick
Greek kakophōnia means bad sound: imagine noises clashing instead of making music.
Similar words
din, racket, clamor
Where it comes from
From Greek kakophōnia, "bad sound."
Quick check
Car horns, a drilling machine and barking dogs all clash outside your window at once. What are you hearing?
a commotion or a cacophony?
Show the answer
a cacophony
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