noun
cacophony
kuh-KO-fuh-nee
noun
1
A harsh mixture of loud, clashing sounds.
"The kitchen was a cacophony of clattering pans and shouted orders."
"Car horns added to the cacophony of rush hour."
How to Use Cacophony
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishAn unpleasant jumble of loud, clashing noises.
Common pairings
a cacophony of sound
a cacophony of voices
Word Forms
cacophonies plural
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The kitchen was a _____ of clattering pans and shouted orders.
Etymology
From French cacophonie, built from Ancient Greek kakos ("bad") plus phone ("sound") — literally "bad sound."