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

• amazing
• astonishing
• astounding
• blindsiding
• dumbfounding
• dumfounding
• eye-opening
• flabbergasting
• jaw-dropping
• jolting
• shocking
• startling
• stunning
• stupefying
• surprising

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

The film frequently alternates between trippy, comic montages of the group’s debauchery and jarring tableaus that hint at a darker undercurrent to their fun. —Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 23 Aug. 2024

That said, an unpolished companion app and a somewhat jarring transparency mode detract from the experience to a degree. —PCMAG, 8 Aug. 2024

But what comes after the lake scene is even more jarring. —Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Aug. 2024

Moving into a new place, especially after the death of a spouse, can be a jarring adjustment. —R. Eric Thomas, The Mercury News, 14 Aug. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1552, in the meaning defined above