DIS CORD Synonyms: 93 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

discord 1 of 2

noun

ˈdi-ˌskȯrd

Definition of discord

as in strife

a lack of agreement or harmony the discord between two of the members threatened to tear our team of researchers apart

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

discord

2 of 2

verb

ˈdi-ˌskȯrd

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

Officials say the attacks are intended to undermine support for Ukraine, spread fear and discord in European societies and drain investigative resources. — ABC News, 26 Aug. 2026 The disconnect between intent and impact could be sowing discord. — Jennifer Liu, CNBC, 20 Aug. 2026 Psychedelics are inherently chaotic drugs, dissolving the boundary between self and surrounds by sowing discord in the brain. — Mike McRae 19, New Atlas, 19 Aug. 2026 By the Monitor's Editorial Board In recent years, Africa’s economies have felt a powerful impact from drought, debt, and violent discord. — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 19 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for discord

Recent Examples of Synonyms for discord

Noun

October, the best time in the baseball calendar, will be at least a little different this year because of the labor strife that awaits in the offseason.

— Jim Bowden, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Congress created temporary protections in 1990 TPS was created by Congress in 1990 to prevent deportations to countries suffering from natural disasters or civil strife.

— Julia Ainsley, NBC news, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of strife

Verb

The partnership has sparked outrage and calls for boycotts from some fans, who view the deal as conflicting with the team's past progressive actions.

— Ricardo Torres, jsonline.com, 22 Sep. 2026
The White House did not respond to a request for comment on the conflicting explanations given for OSC’s role in the Pentagon’s equity deals.

— Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of conflict

Noun

Connected vehicles can instead surface those options through infotainment systems at the moment customers need them, improving convenience without adding friction.

— Stacey Moser, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026
When power changes in organizations, companies end up having friction to adapt to that power.

— Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of friction

Verb

In his first major interview about his tell-all memoir, Tyler Hassen describes the culture clash surrounding DOGE’s mission and the backlash that followed.

— Elizabeth Dwoskin, Washington Post, 21 Sep. 2026
On the edges of the empire, speakers of Germanic dialects, such as the Goths and Vandals, frequently clashed with the Romans, eventually contributing to the fragmentation of the empire.

— Scott Spires, Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of clash

Noun

And so my conversation with Noah centered on the idea of a space where there would be a discordance between what the physical space looked like and what was happening emotionally in that room.

— Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 18 Aug. 2026
Part of that discordance might be the fact that as a genre, rock has historically been difficult to define.

— Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 19 Nov. 2025

Definition of discordance

Noun

The book follows this story for the critical eight years between 1527 and 1535, which led to the enduring schism that created the Church of England.

— David Faris, TheWeek, 16 Sep. 2026
But schisms and heel digging are probably inevitable in such uncertain fields, Catling says.

— Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of schism

Noun

The countries trying to broker an end to the Iran conflict — Oman, Pakistan, and Qatar — are themselves facing military attacks and economic strain from the war, an unusual dynamic that factors into the incentives and urgency behind their mediation.

— Lauren Morganbesser, semafor.com, 22 Sep. 2026
But Washington's negotiations with Tehran over their own war fell apart weeks ago.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of war

Noun

In his dissent, Scalia argued that the ESA was written narrowly to prohibit the intentional hunting and killing of vulnerable animals, not to broadly protect species at the population level.

— Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 22 Sep. 2026
California Attorney General Rob Bonta If Ruffalo is the face of celebrity dissent, then Bonta was the final boss.

— Matt Donnelly, Variety, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of dissent

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“Discord.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discord. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

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