discord 1 of 2

discord

2 of 2

verb

as in to conflict
to be out of harmony or agreement usually noticeably the evangelist's lavish lifestyle discords with his professed religious beliefs

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun discord contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of discord are conflict, contention, dissension, strife, and variance. While all these words mean "a state or condition marked by a lack of agreement or harmony," discord implies an intrinsic or essential lack of harmony producing quarreling, factiousness, or antagonism.

a political party long racked by discord

When can conflict be used instead of discord?

The words conflict and discord can be used in similar contexts, but conflict usually stresses the action of forces in opposition but in static applications implies an irreconcilability as of duties or desires.

the conflict of freedom and responsibility

When is it sensible to use contention instead of discord?

The meanings of contention and discord largely overlap; however, contention applies to strife or competition that shows itself in quarreling, disputing, or controversy.

several points of contention about the new zoning law

When would dissension be a good substitute for discord?

In some situations, the words dissension and discord are roughly equivalent. However, dissension implies strife or discord and stresses a division into factions.

religious dissension threatened to split the colony

When could strife be used to replace discord?

While the synonyms strife and discord are close in meaning, strife emphasizes a struggle for superiority rather than the incongruity or incompatibility of the persons or things involved.

during his brief reign the empire was never free of civil strife

When is variance a more appropriate choice than discord?

Although the words variance and discord have much in common, variance implies a clash between persons or things owing to a difference in nature, opinion, or interest.

cultural variances that work against a national identity

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of discord
Noun
The discord between them is transparent in this interview with Del Nido Jr. Before Tuesday, Sevilla came close to drowning in the politics. Phil Hay, New York Times, 15 May 2025 News of Baek-jin taking tens of thousands of dollars out of the burner account spreads discord among Baek-jin’s ranks, who are only in it for the money. Kayti Burt, Time, 26 Apr. 2025 Gone was the discord and rudeness that is often synonymous with the Big Apple. Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 25 May 2025 Evidently, the discord stemmed from their division of labor. Jeremy Helligar, People.com, 27 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for discord
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discord
Noun
  • The Middle East strife also led to a joint statement from G7 leaders, which affirmed support for Israel and sought a resolution to the region’s tensions.
    Patrick Knickerbocker, CNBC, 17 June 2025
  • Peacock’s latest cop drama shines an unflinching light on a pair of siblings divided by the ongoing strife of the American opioid crisis.
    Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 16 June 2025
Verb
  • The conflicting messaging shows how the Trump administration is trying to thread a needle, between appeasing the farming and hospitality industries and meeting the White House’s aggressive deportation goals.
    Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2025
  • Israeli President Isaac Herzog said Thursday that Israel is not aiming to eliminate Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, or set into motion a regime change in Iran — a statement that conflicts with an Israeli Security Cabinet member’s comments earlier in the day.
    David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 19 June 2025
Noun
  • This fundamental difference has contributed to growing friction, along with her friend's disregard for boundaries.
    Ashley Vega, People.com, 21 June 2025
  • Both the novelist’s oeuvre and the HBO drama are set among the upper echelons of New York society in the late 19th century, documenting frictions both large (the rise of a new industrial elite) and small (imperceptible breaches of etiquette).
    Alison Herman, Variety, 20 June 2025
Verb
  • Their run includes Wolves, Leeds United and a final day clash with Manchester United.
    Andy Naylor, New York Times, 18 June 2025
  • The federal government has clashed with state governments.
    Jacob Turcotte, Christian Science Monitor, 17 June 2025
Noun
  • Luckily, director Kate Dumoulin helps smooth over much of the discordance.
    Matthew J. Palm, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 June 2025
  • Editors’ Picks An editor at Fast Company, a magazine about business, technology and design, was among the first to notice the discordance.
    Adeel Hassan, New York Times, 4 May 2025
Noun
  • According to the Nancy and Barbara, the Pentecostals in Cleveland recently experienced a schism over whether or not women should be allowed to wear pants.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 June 2025
  • That’s been a big challenge for the Democrats lately and has caused schisms along the lines of the generation gap.
    Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune, 27 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • After Hamas conducted a surprise attack against Israel in October 2023, the group was backed in the ensuing war with Israel by Iran and its Axis of Resistance coalition of non-state actors in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Yemen.
    Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 June 2025
  • Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk was also a close ally of Trump during the initial stages of the trade war, further complicating the business outlook for U.S. automakers in China.
    Ganesh Rao, CNBC, 20 June 2025
Noun
  • Trump became the first sitting president to go to the Super Bowl in his second term and there has generally been less dissent from the sports world this time round.
    Adam Crafton, New York Times, 19 June 2025
  • Rather than meeting dissent with dialogue or reform, the Trump administration chose curfews, soldiers, and a deliberate rebranding of protest as rebellion.
    Faisal Kutty, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Discord.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discord. Accessed 26 Jun. 2025.

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