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

These recognizable universes, in which characters attempt to make meaning for themselves amid jarring headlines, can be seen across contemporary media. —Jake Pitre, The Atlantic, 7 Mar. 2026

Getting buy-in and advice from the team helps leaders arrive at a stronger strategy and ensures that inevitable course corrections are minor rather than jarring. —Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 3 Mar. 2026

Even when Conrad had served in Iraq, the sight of a gun hadn’t been so jarring. —James Verini, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026

Bessent’s rhetoric has been particularly jarring. —Mark Pirie, Chicago Tribune, 2 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1552, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for jarring

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