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Dissonance vs Cacophonous - What's the difference?

dissonance | cacophonous |

As a noun dissonance

is a harsh, discordant combination of sounds.

As an adjective cacophonous is

containing, consisting of, or producing harsh, unpleasant or discordant sounds.

dissonance

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • a harsh, discordant combination of sounds
  • (music) conflicting notes that are not overtones of the note or chord sounding
  • a state of disagreement or conflict

    • Derived terms

    * dissonant * cognitive dissonance

    See also

    * assonance

    cacophonous

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Containing, consisting of, or producing harsh, unpleasant or discordant sounds.
  • * 2006 , Everett True, Nirvana: The Biography , Da Capo Press (2007), ISBN 9780306815546, page 58:
    • The first time I saw the NYC quartet [Sonic Youth] was in 1983 for their Confusion Is Sex album, when they filled The Venue in Victoria, London with a cacophonous maelstrom of mangled sounds that still reverberates, more than two decades on.
  • * 2011 , Fern Michaels, To Taste the Wine , Kensington Books (2011), ISBN 9780758242747, page 153:
    • and the cacophonous clatter of pots and pans accompanied the vociferous complaints of the ship's cook.
  • * 2012 , Michael D. Breed & Janice Moore, Animal Behavior , Academic Press (2012), ISBN 9780123725813, page 199 (image caption):
    • A colony of pelicans can be cacophonous .

    Synonyms

    * inharmonious, unmusical, unmelodic

    Antonyms

    * harmonious, musical, euphonious

    Related terms

    * cacophony * cacophonic