Cacophony refers to a harsh, discordant mixture of sounds, used to describe a situation where a lot of noise makes it hard to focus.

In public speaking and writing, creating a cacophony can be a deliberate technique to convey chaos or disarray.

A speaker might describe a scene as, ‘The room was a cacophony of ringing phones, shouting salespeople, and clattering keyboards.’

Another way to use cacophony is in describing the overwhelming flood of information in modern society: ‘We are bombarded by a cacophony of news, opinions, and advertisements every day.’

Use cacophony to paint a vivid picture of noise and confusion, helping your audience to not just hear but feel the chaos you’re describing.