Cacophonia

/ˌkækoʊˈfoʊniə/ noun

Definition

A system or state of harsh, discordant, or unpleasant sounds; the opposite of harmony or pleasant sound.

Etymology

From Greek 'kakos' (bad) + 'phone' (sound, voice); 'cacophonia' is the Latinate form that directly parallels 'symphony' (good sound) in structure.

Kelly Says

The word 'cacophony' gets used for ugly sounds, but 'cacophonia' is its more technical form—much like how 'symphony' and 'symphonia' describe music, showing how Latin and Greek gave us pairs of words for the same thing.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.