1
Core meaning
A harsh, discordant, and confusing mixture of sounds.
Example
A cacophony of horns filled the street.
cacophony
/kəˈkɒfəni/ · kuh-KOF-uh-neenoun
A harsh, discordant, and confusing mixture of sounds.
Use cacophony to express this relationship precisely: a harsh, discordant, and confusing mixture of sounds.
What cacophony Really Means
The word becomes easier to use when its closely related senses are separated and compared.
2
Common noun frame
Use this noun in a complete noun phrase, adding the complement that identifies what it refers to when needed.
Example
The birds' calls merged into a dawn cacophony.
3
Analytical distinction
Choose it when this exact concept matters; a related term may describe its cause, evidence, or opposite instead.
Example
Her voice was barely audible above the mechanical cacophony.
Use cacophony Naturally
Notice how the surrounding noun or clause reveals the exact shade of meaning.
A cacophony of horns filled the street.
The birds' calls merged into a dawn cacophony.
Her voice was barely audible above the mechanical cacophony.
Precision Matters
Cacophony overlaps with several common words, but each carries a different emphasis.
cacophony
vs.Means a harsh, discordant, and confusing mixture of sounds.
discordant
Means lacking harmony, consistency, or agreement.
cacophony
vs.Means a harsh, discordant, and confusing mixture of sounds.
coarseness
Means the quality of being rough in texture, crude in structure, or harsh in manner.
cacophony
vs.Means a harsh, discordant, and confusing mixture of sounds.
juxtaposition
Means the placement of two things close together, especially to reveal contrast or comparison.
cacophony
vs.Means a harsh, discordant, and confusing mixture of sounds.
conspicuous
Means easily noticed or attracting attention.
Test cacophony in Context
The sounds form a harsh, discordant mixture.
1
When every alarm sounded at once, the laboratory filled with a deafening ___.