cacophonous

[ kuh-kof-uh-nuhs ]

/ kəˈkɒf ə nəs /

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See synonyms for cacophonous on Thesaurus.com

adjective

having a harsh or discordant sound.

OTHER WORDS FOR cacophonous

dissonant, strident, grating, raucous.

See synonyms for cacophonous on Thesaurus.com

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of cacophonous

From the Greek word kakóphōnos, dating back to 1790–1800. See caco-, -phone, -ous

OTHER WORDS FROM cacophonous

ca·coph·o·nous·ly, adverbun·ca·coph·o·nous, adjective

Words nearby cacophonous

cacogenics, cacography, cacology, cacomistle, caconym, cacophonous, cacophony, cacqueteuse, cactaceous, cactoblastis, cactus

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use cacophonous in a sentence

A psychologist might describe the benefits of this cognitive specificity in terms of “flow,” the buzzword applied to activities that focus the attention on something immediate and tangible, to the exclusion of the cacophonous wider world.
In London, looking backward to move forward|Henry Wismayer|March 5, 2021|Washington Post
It is a cacophonous soundscape that had changed little in tens of thousands of years.
Underwater Noise Pollution Is Disrupting Ocean Life—But We Can Fix It|Aryn Baker|February 5, 2021|Time
Their shocked glee was cacophonous: for many conservatives, the glitterati of Hollywood are a bunch of sneering atheists.
Matthew McConaughey’s God Moment|William O’Connor|March 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The halftime show, especially, is a cacophonous display of shock and awe.
American Dreams: The Essential Book of 2012|Nathaniel Rich|December 28, 2012|DAILY BEAST

The news prompted cacophonous street celebrations in Tripoli with guns blazing, fireworks exploding, and car horns blaring.
Skepticism Abounds About the Death of Gaddafi’s Son Khamis|Jamie Dettmer|October 21, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Sometimes, though, she looks determinedly frumpy in bold, geometric cacophonous patterns.
Ann Romney's Milk-and-Cookies Style Emphasizes Mitt's Softer Side|Robin Givhan|December 20, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Others have no doubt quite sincerely refused to perform any music that sounded cacophonous to them.
Musical Portraits|Paul Rosenfeld
Yet again, he talks vaguely of the intricate polyphony of a cosmic orchestra, cacophonous to our dull ears.
A Book of Prefaces|H. L. Mencken
And to even that remnant of music--their few jumbled cacophonous melodies--they clung with a devotion almost phenomenal.
Sabbath in Puritan New England|Alice Morse Earle
In Orocué they always began their cacophonous serenade at nightfall, and kept it up uninterruptedly until the following morning.
Up the Orinoco and down the Magdalena|H. J. Mozans
She had a black eye which the cacophonous fiend had probably given her, and she grinned like a happy child of nature.
The Morals of Marcus Ordeyne|William J. Locke

British Dictionary definitions for cacophonous

cacophonous

cacophonic (ˌkækəˈfɒnɪk)

/ (kəˈkɒfənəs) /

adjective

jarring in sound; discordant; harsh

Derived forms of cacophonous

cacophonously or cacophonically, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

cacophonous

OTHER WORDS FOR cacophonous

Origin of cacophonous

OTHER WORDS FROM cacophonous

Words nearby cacophonous

Words related to cacophonous

How to use cacophonous in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for cacophonous

cacophonic (ˌkækəˈfɒnɪk)

Derived forms of cacophonous