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Plural
cacophonies
1
a harsh, jarring mixture of sounds
- The city street erupted in a cacophony of horns, sirens, and shouting.
- A cacophony of barking dogs shattered the morning silence.
- The orchestra's warm-up was a cacophony, not yet music.
- The classroom descended into a cacophony of chatter and laughter.
- The storm brought a cacophony of thunder, wind, and crashing waves.
2
a literary device that uses a mixture of unpleasant, inharmonious, and harsh sounds to show disorder or chaos
Cacophony is a literary device where harsh, unpleasant, or clashing sounds are used to create a sense of disruption or discomfort. This often involves using sharp or grating consonant sounds that do not blend well together. For example, the phrase "The clash and clamor of the chaotic crowd" uses cacophony to convey a sense of disorder and noise. Cacophony is used to enhance the mood, reflect chaos or discomfort, and draw attention to particular aspects of a text.
- In the poem, the poet used cacophony to evoke the tumultuous emotions of the protagonist as they grappled with inner turmoil.
- The cacophony of discordant voices in the novel reflected the protagonist's inner turmoil and existential crisis.
- The poet used cacophony to evoke the chaos and confusion of war, with words clashing against each other like opposing armies on the battlefield.
- In the play, the cacophony of insults and accusations hurled between characters heightened the tension and drama of the scene.
- The cacophony of sounds in the short story mirrored the protagonist's descent into madness, with each noise amplifying their sense of paranoia and fear.