jarring

1 of 2

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

jarring

2 of 2

present participle of jar entry 2

Synonyms of jarring

Adjective

• surprising
• startling
• amazing
• shocking
• stunning

Examples of jarring in a Sentence

Adjective

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

Adjective

In a jarring contrast, Chicago’s CARE teams have responded to fewer than 3,000 calls in about as much time. — Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026

Those sorts of moments can be discombobulating, even jarring, even for the tough-minded likes of NFL players. — Kansas City Star, 5 Oct. 2026

But Week 4 brought an especially jarring wave, with stars and indispensable starters disappearing from game after game, giving teams an early lesson in contingency planning. — Rick Maese, Washington Post, 5 Oct. 2026

One of the most jarring elements of Baird’s documentary — as with most nonfiction projects about Palestinians released in the last few years — is how much of the language featured in the film echoes the contemporary moment. — Lovia Gyarkye, HollywoodReporter, 4 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1552, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for jarring

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