dissonant

adjective

dis·​so·​nant ˈdi-sə-nənt How to pronounce dissonant (audio)
1
: marked by dissonance : discordant
2
3
: harmonically unresolved
dissonantly adverb

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.

Examples of dissonant in a Sentence

a dissonant chorus of noises arose from the busy construction site
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Just as the concert’s success depends on most musicians playing correctly despite a few dissonant notes, a blockchain’s integrity relies on honest nodes reaching consensus even when some nodes fail or act maliciously. Gary Weinstein, Forbes, 22 Nov. 2024 The storytelling is entertainingly confident but tonally dissonant, though Baker stirs a host of strong performances for his disparate characters, especially Mikey Madison as the sassy Cinderella of this story and Yura Borisov as an endearing henchman. Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 8 Nov. 2024 The dissonant hoover synths seethe like Bernard Herrmann strings — echoing the lyrics’ references to Hitchcock’s Psycho, Vertigo, and Rear Window. Kristen S. Hé, Vulture, 25 Oct. 2024 It was improvised and dissonant and the type of weird that gave everyone goosebumps. Angelique Jackson, Variety, 22 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for dissonant 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English dissonaunte, from Latin dissonant-, dissonans, present participle of dissonare to be discordant, from dis- + sonare to sound — more at sound entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dissonant was in the 15th century

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near dissonant

Cite this Entry

“Dissonant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dissonant. Accessed 11 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

dissonant

adjective
dis·​so·​nant ˈdis-ə-nənt How to pronounce dissonant (audio)
: marked by dissonance
dissonantly adverb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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