cacophony
/kæ'kɔfəni/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A harsh, discordant mixture of sounds: An unpleasant, loud, and often chaotic combination of sounds that are jarring to the ear.
- A loud, harsh, or strident noise: A single, overpowering sound that is grating and unpleasant.
Usage
- Cacophony is used to describe an overwhelming and unpleasant auditory experience. It emphasizes noise that is not just loud, but also chaotic, clashing, and lacking harmony.
- It is often used in both literal contexts (to describe actual sounds) and figurative contexts (to describe a chaotic or disagreeable situation).
Examples
- The cacophony of car horns, construction drills, and shouting vendors made it impossible to concentrate.
- As the orchestra tuned their instruments, a cacophony of screeches and blares filled the hall before the conductor arrived.
- The political debate devolved into a cacophony of angry voices, with everyone talking over each other.
Advanced Usage
- Figurative Use: "Cacophony" can describe a chaotic or conflicting mixture of non-auditory elements, such as ideas, colors, or opinions.
- The artist's early work was a visual cacophony of clashing colors and shapes.
- The internet is often a cacophony of conflicting information and opinions.
Variants and Related Words
- Cacophonous (adj): Describing something that is harsh-sounding or discordant.
- The cacophonous roar of the jet engines drowned out all conversation.
Synonyms
- Din: A loud, continuous, and unpleasant noise.
- Discord: A lack of harmony between sounds; harsh sound.
- Dissonance: A tension or clash resulting from the combination of two disharmonious elements, especially in music.
- Racket: A loud, disturbing noise.
Antonyms
- Euphony: The quality of being pleasing to the ear, especially through a harmonious combination of words or sounds.
- Harmony: The combination of simultaneously sounded musical notes to produce a pleasing effect.
- Melody: A sequence of single notes that is musically satisfying; a tune.
- Silence: Complete absence of sound.
Related Idioms and Phrases
- A cacophony of voices: Used to describe a situation where many people are speaking at once, creating a chaotic and confusing sound.
- The town hall meeting turned into a cacophony of voices, with no clear resolution in sight.
Noun
- loud confusing disagreeable sounds
- a loud harsh or strident noise