Cacophonous: meaning and SAT practice

Cacophonous (adjective) means: Making harsh, discordant, unpleasant sounds mixed together.

Cacophonous in a sentence

The cacophonous noise from the construction site made it impossible to concentrate on homework.

Similar: harsh, discordant, jarring, dissonant. Opposite: melodious, harmonious.

SAT-style practice: what does “cacophonous” most nearly mean?

The cacophonous noise from the construction site made it impossible to concentrate on homework.

As used in the sentence, “cacophonous” most nearly means

  1. harsh
  2. contemporary
  3. bold
  4. deplorable
Show the answer

Answer: A. “cacophonous” means: Making harsh, discordant, unpleasant sounds mixed together. “harsh” is the closest match in this sentence. The other choices are real SAT-level words, but none of them carries that meaning here.

On the digital SAT this is the “Words in Context” skill, about 7 of the 54 Reading and Writing questions. The test asks what a word means as used in the passage, so a word’s most common meaning is not always the answer. More of these, with full explanations, are on SAT Words in Context practice questions.

  • acrid: Having a bitter, unpleasant smell or taste.
  • astringent: Harsh or severe in taste, manner, or effect; causing contraction.
  • caustic: Chemically burning or severely critical and sarcastic.
  • inclement: Describing harsh or stormy weather conditions.
  • scathing: Severely critical or harshly condemning in tone.
  • strident: Loud, harsh, and demanding attention in an unpleasant way.

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