cacophony They would listen to chit-chat between blue whales hundreds of miles apart. They would record the familiar chirps and clicks among a pod of dolphins. And they would do so without the "cacophony" of humankind – and develop a better understanding of how that undersea racket has affected sea life. https://wkzo.com/news/articles/2020/jun/08/pandemic-offers-scientists-unprecedented-chance-to-hear-oceans-as-they-once-were/1026872/?refer-section=science Does cacophony here mean a mix of harsh unpleasant sounds? Is the word used often in a formal context?