Word Study
cacophony
CIDE DICTIONARY
cacophony, n. [Gr. ; kako`s bad + sound: cf. F. Cacophonie.].
- An uncouth or disagreable sound of words, owing to the concurrence of harsh letters or syllables. Pope. [1913 Webster]
- A combination of discordant sounds. [1913 Webster]
- An unhealthy state of the voice. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
cacophony, n. (pl. -ies)
1 a harsh discordant mixture of sound.
2 dissonance; discord.
1 a harsh discordant mixture of sound.
2 dissonance; discord.
Derivative
cacophonous adj.
Etymology
F cacophonie f. Gk kakophonia f. kakophonos f. kakos bad + phone sound
THESAURUS
cacophony
Babel, Gothicism, agitation, atonalism, atonality, bad taste, barbarism, barbarousness, bedlam, bluster, bombasticness, brawl, broil, brouhaha, cacology, chaos, clinker, clumsiness, coarseness, commotion, confusion of tongues, cracked voice, crudeness, cumbrousness, defacement, discord, discordance, discordancy, disfigurement, disharmony, dissonance, dissonancy, dissonant chord, disturbance, dryness, dysphemism, ebullition, embroilment, fanaticism, ferment, flap, flatness, fomentation, foofaraw, frenzy, fume, furor, furore, fury, fuss, gracelessness, grossness, gruffness, gutturalism, gutturality, gutturalness, harshness, heaviness, hell, hoarseness, homeliness, hubbub, huskiness, ill-balanced sentences, ill-favoredness, impropriety, impurity, inconcinnity, incorrectness, indecorousness, inelegance, inelegancy, infelicity, inharmoniousness, inharmony, lack of finish, lack of polish, leadenness, noise, off note, pandemonium, passion, plainness, pompousness, ponderousness, poor diction, racket, rage, raspiness, raucity, roughness, row, ruckus, rudeness, rumpus, scrapiness, scratchiness, sesquipedalianism, sesquipedality, shapelessness, sharpness, slipshod construction, sour note, sourness, static, stertorousness, stiltedness, storminess, stridor, tastelessness, tempestuousness, thickness, throatiness, tumult, tumultuousness, tunelessness, turbulence, turgidity, turmoil, uglification, uglifying, ugliness, unaestheticness, unattractiveness, unbeautifulness, uncomeliness, uncouthness, uneuphoniousness, ungainliness, ungracefulness, unhandsomeness, unharmoniousness, unloveliness, unmusicality, unpleasingness, unprettiness, unrefinement, unseemliness, unshapeliness, unsightliness, untunefulness, unwieldiness, uproar, upset, vulgarism, vulgarity, wildness, wolf, zeal, zealousnessROGET THESAURUS
cacophony
Inelegance
N inelegance, stiffness, unlettered Muse, barbarism, slang, solecism, mannerism, euphuism, fustian, cacophony, words that break the teeth, words that dislocate the jaw, marinism, inelegant, graceless, ungraceful, harsh, abrupt, dry, stiff, cramped, formal, guinde, forced, labored, artificial, mannered, ponderous, awkward, uncourtly, unpolished, turgid, affected, euphuistic, barbarous, uncouth, grotesque, rude, crude, halting, offensive to ears polite, Spoken Language.Discord
N discord, disagreement, discord, disaccord, dissidence, dissonance, jar, clash, shock, jarring, jostling, screw loose, variance, difference, dissension, misunderstanding, cross purposes, odds, brouillerie, division, split, rupture, disruption, division in the camp, house divided against itself, disunion, breach, schism, feud, faction, quarrel, dispute, tiff, tracasserie, squabble, altercation, barney, demel_e, snarl, spat, towrow, words, high words, wrangling, jangle, brabble, cross questions and crooked answers, snip-snap, family jars, polemics, litigation, strife, warfare, outbreak, open rupture, declaration of war, broil, brawl, row, racket, hubbub, rixation, embroilment, embranglement, imbroglio, fracas, breach of the peace, piece of work, scrimmage, rumpus, breeze, squall, riot, disturbance, commotion, bear garden, Donnybrook, Donnybrook Fair, subject of dispute, ground of quarrel, battle ground, disputed point, bone of contention, bone to pick, apple of discord, casus belli, question at issue, vexed question, vexata quaestio, brand of discord, troublous times, cat-and-dog life, contentiousness, enmity, hate, Kilkenny cats, disputant, strange bedfellows, discordant, disagreeing, out of tune, ajar, on bad terms, dissentient, unreconciled, unpacified, contentious, quarrelsome, unpacific, gladiatorial, controversial, polemic, disputatious, factious, litigious, litigant, pettifogging, at odds, at loggerheads, at daggers drawn, at variance, at issue, at cross purposes, at sixes and sevens, at feud, at high words, up in arms, together by the ears, in hot water, embroiled, torn, disunited, quot homines tot sententiae, no love lost between them, non nostrum tantas componere lites, Mars gravior sub pace latet, discord, discordance, dissonance, cacophony, want of harmony, caterwauling, harshness, Babel, Dutch concert, cat's concert, marrowbones and cleavers, discordant, dissonant, absonant, out of tune, tuneless, unmusical, untunable, unmelodious, immelodious, unharmonious, inharmonious, singsong, cacophonous, harsh, jarring.For further exploring for "cacophony" in Webster Dictionary Online