cacophony
kuh-KOF-uh-neenounMeaning a harsh, jarring mix of sounds
Memory hook CACO = bad, PHON = sound. On the first day of band practice, every beginner plays a different song at once, and Professor Edwin covers his ears: the result is a cacophony.
Car horns, sirens and barking dogs made a cacophony outside my window.
In context Unlike the sweet harmony of the choir, the first rehearsal of the beginner band was a cacophony, with every player honking a different note at a different speed.
Similar din, racket, discord, noise
Opposite harmony, euphony
From Greek kakophonia: kakos (bad) + phone (sound).