euphony
noun
Did you know?
Euphony was borrowed from French at the beginning of the 17th century; the French word (euphonie) derives from the Late Latin euphonia, which in turn traces back to the Greek adjective euphōnos, meaning "sweet-voiced" or "musical." Euphōnos was formed by combining the prefix eu- ("good") and phōnē ("voice"). In addition to its more commonly recognized senses, euphony also has a more specific meaning in the field of linguistics, where it can refer to the preference for words that are easy to pronounce. This preference may be the cause of an observed trend of people altering the pronunciation of certain words—apparently in favor of sound combinations that are more fluid and simpler to say out loud.
Example Sentences
Sheldon Pearce, The New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2021 For all the euphony and alliteration of the phrase, winter white is more of a squirrel-meat gray. Dan Neil, WSJ, 7 Feb. 2020 The combination of Freddy Cole’s reedy voice and Lionel Cole’s chesty baritone made for a most appealing euphony, accompanied by Freddy Cole’s silvery pianism, Randy Napoleon’s buoyant guitar work and a chugging backbeat from the rest of the band. Howard Reich, chicagotribune.com, 30 Aug. 2019 Both the music and the film footage conveyed a sense of lyricism, rhythmic relaxation, peace and euphony. Howard Reich, chicagotribune.com, 30 June 2019 Intersections in the Washington area do not seem to be ranked officially for euphony or the way the names of the individual streets sound when they are linked together. Martin Weil, Washington Post, 31 Mar. 2018 Commercials for one of the biggest brands, Bolla, played regularly on radio and television, and the euphony of the phrase was as catchy as Orson Welles declaring that Paul Masson would sell no wine before its time. Eric Asimov, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2017 See More Word History
borrowed from Late Latin euphōnia, borrowed from Greek euphōnía "good voice quality (of a public speaker), good tone (of horns)," from eúphōnos "pleasant-sounding, musical" (from eu- eu- + -phōnos "having a sound [of the kind specified]," adjective derivative of phōnḗ "sound made by something living, voice, speech") + -ia -ia entry 1 — more at phono-
1606, in the meaning defined at sense 1
euphonic
adjective
Synonyms & Similar Words
- symphonic
- musical
- melodic
- melodious
- euphonious
- tuneful
- rhythmic
- harmonizing
- orchestral
- symphonious
- lyrical
- rhythmical
- lyric
- harmonious
- mellifluous
- sweet
- echoing
- flowing
- pleasant
- resonant
- dulcet
- songful
- harmonic
- appealing
- blending
- canorous
- sonorous
- mellow
- mellifluent
- chiming
- warbling
- trilling
- tonal
- songlike
- quavering
- homophonic
- cadenced
- lilting
- polyphonic
- agreeable
- chordal
- polyphonous
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- unmusical
- dissonant
- inharmonious
- unmelodious
- metallic
- discordant
- tuneless
- disharmonious
- shrill
- strident
- raucous
- harsh
- unpleasant
- raspy
- squeaky
- jarring
- disagreeable
- grating
- clashing
- scratching
- blaring
- jangling
- unpleasing
- clattering
- screeching
- clanging
- atonal
- off-key