English Explanatory Dictionary

cacophony

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A mix of discordant sounds; dissonance.

Pronunciation

/kəˈkɒfəni/ /kəˈkɑfəni/ en-us-cacophony.ogg en-au-cacophony.ogg

Word forms

cacophony cacophonies

Etymology

Etymology tree Ancient Greek κᾰκός (kăkós) Ancient Greek κακο- (kako-) Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂-der. Ancient Greek φωνή (phōnḗ) Ancient Greek κᾰκόφωνος (kăkóphōnos) Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-i-eh₂ Proto-Hellenic *-íā Ancient Greek -ῐ́ᾱ (-ĭ́ā) Ancient Greek κᾰκοφωνῐ́ᾱ (kăkophōnĭ́ā)bor. French cacophonieder. English cacophony From French cacophonie, from Ancient Greek κακοφωνία (kakophōnía), from κακός (kakós, “bad”) + φωνή (phōnḗ, “sound”), equivalent to caco- + -phony.

Synonyms

cacophony caterwauling discord discordance discordancy dyscrasy disharmony dissonance dissonancy ear rape inharmony

Antonyms

euphony harmony

Related words

anthropophony cacophonous dissonance harmony harshness din

Derived words

cacophonic cacophonical cacophonous castrophony
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