clangorous

Everyday

1. (literary) Making a loud, ringing, clanging noise, like bells or metal being struck. tree →
2. Full of harsh, repeated loud sounds. tree →

In the lessons

A rare, poetic word for noise, used in stories to describe bells, metal gates, factories or a busy railway yard. It comes from «clangour», a loud continuous clanging. In everyday talk people say «clanging» or «noisy».

Examples

• The clangorous church bells woke the whole village. tree →
• We heard the clangorous noise of the blacksmith's hammer. tree →
• The iron gates shut with a clangorous crash. tree →
• The clangorous shipyard rang with hammers all day. tree →
• Fire engines raced past with a clangorous alarm. tree →
• The poem describes the clangorous city streets. tree →

Note

Literary and rare. Spelling: «clangour» (UK) / «clangor» (US), but «clangorous» drops the «u» in both. Related: clang, clank, clatter.