cacophonies

Cacophonies is the plural of cacophony, meaning harsh, discordant mixtures of sounds.

The word describes clashing noises that grate on the ear—traffic, construction, competing voices, or instruments badly out of tune.

In literary contexts, cacophony refers to deliberately jarring combinations of words or sounds used for effect: The poet employed cacophonies to evoke the chaos of battle.

The term contrasts with euphony, which describes pleasing sounds.