discord

1 of 2

noun

dis·​cord ˈdi-ˌskȯrd 

1

a

: lack of agreement or harmony (as between persons, things, or ideas)

… must we fall into the jabber and babel of discord while victory is still unattained?

—Sir Winston Churchill

b

: active quarreling or conflict resulting from discord among persons or factions : strife

marital discord

discord between the two parties

2

a music

(1)

: a combination of musical sounds that strikes the ear harshly

(2)

: dissonance

The song ends on a discord.

b

: a harsh or unpleasant sound

discord

2 of 2

verb

dis·​cord ˈdi-ˌskȯrd 

di-ˈskȯrd

discorded; discording; discords

intransitive verb

: disagree, clash

Synonyms

Noun

• conflict
• disaccord
• discordance
• discordancy
• disharmony
• dissension
• dissention
• dissent
• dissidence
• dissonance
• disunion
• disunity
• division
• friction
• infighting
• inharmony
• schism
• strife
• variance
• war
• warfare

Verb

• clash
• collide
• conflict
• disaccord
• jar

Choose the Right Synonym for discord

discord, strife, conflict, contention, dissension, variance mean a state or condition marked by a lack of agreement or harmony.

discord implies an intrinsic or essential lack of harmony producing quarreling, factiousness, or antagonism.

a political party long racked by discord

strife emphasizes a struggle for superiority rather than the incongruity or incompatibility of the persons or things involved.

during his brief reign the empire was never free of civil strife

conflict usually stresses the action of forces in opposition but in static applications implies an irreconcilability as of duties or desires.

the conflict of freedom and responsibility

contention applies to strife or competition that shows itself in quarreling, disputing, or controversy.

several points of contention about the new zoning law

dissension implies strife or discord and stresses a division into factions.

religious dissension threatened to split the colony

variance implies a clash between persons or things owing to a difference in nature, opinion, or interest.

cultural variances that work against a national identity

Examples of discord in a Sentence

Noun

The city has long been known as a scene of racial intolerance and discord.

The song ends on a discord.

Verb

the evangelist's lavish lifestyle discords with his professed religious beliefs

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The discord between the men escalates in ways both pettily prankish and more profoundly wounding, all while a more quiet rift between Jeff and Max widens. —Guy Lodge, Variety, 25 Mar. 2024

To tame the discord within his GOP conference, Johnson split the 12 annual spending bills, or appropriations, into two packages, hoping separate deadlines would give Republicans more leverage to secure funding cuts and conservative policies. —Jacob Bogage, Washington Post, 22 Mar. 2024

The discord deepened Friday as Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv. —Daniel Estrin, NPR, 22 Mar. 2024

The discord between sound and vision in The Zone of Interest is deeply unsettling. —Hazlitt, 6 Mar. 2024

The looming challenge to Mr. Johnson from within sparked quick recriminations from other Republicans, who accused their colleagues of sowing discord that harms their own party and its chances of success in a pivotal election for control of Congress in November. —Carl Hulse, New York Times, 23 Mar. 2024

The incident is the latest sign of discord in Europe over how best to counter the Kremlin and support Kyiv. —Yuliya Talmazan, NBC News, 4 Mar. 2024

But Democratic discord simmered beneath the pleasantries at the Feb. 23 decapod dinner. —Hannah Wiley, Los Angeles Times, 29 Feb. 2024

Geopolitical discord also seems to have reared its head with those willing to accept the rupee internationally. —Gaurav Sharma, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English descorde, discord, from Anglo-French descorde, from Latin discordia, from discord-, discors — see discord entry 2

Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French descorder, from Latin discordare, from discord-, discors discordant, from dis- + cord-, cor heart — more at heart

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

discord

noun

dis·​cord

ˈdis-ˌkȯ(ə)rd

1

: lack of agreement or harmony : conflict

discord between political parties

2

a

: a harsh combination of musical sounds

b

: a harsh or unpleasant sound