symphony
harmonious sound-together; a complex musical work
Roots
- phon: sound or voice
- syn- / sym-: together or with
Other words with the phon root
- cacophonous: harsh or unpleasant-sounding
- cacophony: a harsh mixture of sounds
- euphonious: pleasant-sounding
- euphony: pleasant or harmonious sound
- homophone: a word that sounds the same as another word
- phone: a device or voice/sound connection
Syn- / sym- gives together and phon gives sound. A symphony is sound organized together so many parts feel like one.
The traffic outside was a mess, but inside the hall the orchestra became a symphony.
A symphony is the happy version of together-sound: many instruments enter from different places, yet the ear receives one shape. That is the opposite of cacophony, where sounds collide instead of cooperate.