Question

Choose the appropriate synonym for the given word-
Cacophony

a)Discordant
b)Dance
c)Applause
d)Type of telephone
e)Rooster

Answer 1

Hint: Synonyms refer to words that are nearly or exactly the same in meaning to another word. Example- Gorgeous is the synonym of beautiful. ‘Cacophony’ refers to the mishmash or discord of unpleasant or harsh sounds produced at an incredibly loud volume.

Complete answer:

As given in the hint, we can use ‘cacophony’ to indicate a harsh or a rough sound or noise. The word ‘cacophony’ has been derived from the Greek word- Kakosphone, which refers to a bad sound.
We know the meaning and the origin of the word ‘cacophony’. Now, let’s look at its usage:
Example- The boy started crying when he heard the cacophony coming from the woods. Here, we can understand that the boy ‘X’ started crying when he heard unpleasant or harsh sounds coming from the woods.
Let’s examine the given options:
Option a- ‘Discordant’ refers to an inharmonious or cacophonous sound that is unpleasant to the ears. Example- The old singers ended their discordant singing. ‘Discordant’ is similar in meaning to the cacophony. Hence, it is the correct option.
Option b- ‘Dance’ refers to twirling or moving rhythmically. Example- The boys danced all night. ‘Dance’ is completely different in meaning to the cacophony. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
Option c- ‘Applause’ refers to cheering or praising someone. Example- The audience gave him a round of applause. ‘Applause’ is different in meaning to the cacophony. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
Option d- ‘Type of telephone’ indicates the category or a variety of telephone. Cacophony is not a type of telephone. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
Option e- ‘Rooster’ refers to the masculine gender noun of a hen. Cacophony is not used to indicate an animal or a person. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
The correct answer is Option ‘a’.

Note: You can use the elimination method to eliminate the option that is least likely to be the synonym of cacophony. Some of the commonly used synonyms of cacophony are; noise, racket, din, etc.