Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “cacophony” come from?

Cacophony comes from French cacophonie, from Ancient Greek κακοφωνία, combining κακός meaning bad with a root meaning sound.

cacophony (English): A mix of discordant sounds; dissonance

Definitions

  1. A mix of discordant sounds; dissonance

Ancestry of “cacophony”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchcacophoniecacophony
2Ancient Greekκᾰκοφωνῐ́ᾱ—

Words derived from “cacophony”

  • cacophonical
Every word from Ancient Greek κᾰκοφωνῐ́ᾱ →