Definition of dissonant
1 : marked by dissonance : discordant
2 : incongruous
3 : harmonically unresolved
dissonantly
adverbFrom the M-W Editors
dissonant was our Word of the Day on 09/16/2007. Hear the podcast!
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Examples of dissonant in a sentence
a dissonant chorus of noises arose from the busy construction site
Recent Examples of dissonant from the web
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Mazzoli’s score supports that dynamic by wedding strong lyric invention to an unsettled, insidiously dissonant chamber-orchestra texture that evokes the jagged beauty both of Skye and of Bess’s inner landscape.
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For the vast majority of the world’s Muslims, violence is completely dissonant with the holy month, which in addition to fasting is a time for spiritual renewal, prayer and visits with friends and family.
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Taken together, the two narratives produce a dissonant, but not contradictory, summary of America:
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To be negotiating this kind of trade deal at the same time is, at best, politically dissonant and, at worst politically disingenuous.
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Did You Know?
The root of "dissonant" is the Latin verb sonare. Can you guess what "sonare" means? Here's a hint: some related derivatives are "sonata," "supersonic," and "resonance." Does it sound to you as if "sonare" has something to do with sound? If so, you're right. In fact, sonare means "to sound, is related to the Latin noun sonus (meaning "sound"), and is an ancestor of the English word sound. "Dissonant" includes the negative prefix dis-. What is "dissonant," therefore, sounds inharmonic, conflicting, or clashing.
Origin and Etymology of dissonant
Middle English dissonaunte, from Latin dissonant-, dissonans, present participle of dissonare to be discordant, from dis- + sonare to sound — more at sound
First Known Use: 15th century
DISSONANT Defined for English Language Learners
dissonant
playDefinition of dissonant for English Language Learners
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: not in agreement with something
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music : not in harmony
Learn More about dissonant
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for dissonant
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