jarring

adjective

jar·​ring ˈjär-iŋ 

: having a harshly concussive, disagreeable, or discordant effect

a jarring tackle

It is not hard to imagine how the wounded will fare in a long jarring ride over rough roads …

—William Baxter

After watching the British reports, I found the American ones jarring.

—Michael Massing

There is not a single jarring note from the minute you enter this turn-of-the-century palazzo, lovingly restored to its glory days …

—Kati Marton

jarringly adverb

jarringly harsh language

a jarringly hard hit

… an aroma that I found jarringly distracting …

—Randal Caparoso

The book is his angry, raunchy, opinionated, sometimes moving, jarringly frank autobiography …

—Brad Darrach

Synonyms of jarring

• surprising
• startling
• amazing
• shocking
• stunning

Examples of jarring in a Sentence

the jarring news that major financial institutions were on the verge of collapse

the final chord of that song is too jarring for me

Recent Examples on the Web

In a standard series hybrid, engine revs vary from buzz to scream based on electrical demand, creating a jarring, disconnected drone that drivers hate. — New Atlas, 13 Aug. 2026

The jarring effect on the community Tur, the NoiseOff founder, was one of the first community advocates to sound the alarm over the Rumbler. — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026

With the help of team psychologist Dr Pippa Grange, England cultivated a team ethos in a manner that was incongruous to generations before them — and felt somewhat jarring, based on English societal norms. — Mark Carey, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2026

The age of big, bright, pearly whites In the early 2000s up until the late 2010s, Aro’s first set wouldn't have been so jarring. — Elizabeth Gulino, Allure, 7 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1552, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for jarring

• barring
• charring
• marring
• scarring
• sparring
• starring
• tarring
• debarring