Cacophony
/kæˈkɒf.əni/noun
A harsh, discordant mixture of sounds.
Did you know?The word 'cacophony' combines the Greek prefix for 'bad' with 'voice', literally meaning 'bad sound', echoing ancient fears of chaotic noise as omens.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
κακόφωνος (kakóphōnos)
“bad voice or sound, a term used to describe unpleasant auditory experiences.”
Late Latin
Latin
cacophonia
“the term was adopted into Latin from Greek, retaining the meaning of discordant sound.”
Middle French
French
cacophonie
“borrowed from Latin, it kept the sense of a harsh or discordant sound.”
Early Modern English
English
cacophony
“emerged in English around the early 19th century, used to describe loud and jarring noises.”
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