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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

As the United States marks its 250th anniversary at a time of national discord, Americans are reflecting on the legacy of their country’s history. — Foreign Affairs, 12 Aug. 2026 Meena said his contract was terminated prematurely, a dispute highlighting internal discord. — Catherine Muccigrosso july 24, Charlotte Observer, 24 July 2026 But mounting turmoil and discord have been a part of this transformative period that has featured a landmark collective bargaining agreement, league expansion and skyrocketing player recognition. — ABC News, 24 July 2026 In a year where everything Skubal does has been fair game for discussion and discord, the barbs surrounding the WBC still have not faded. — Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 22 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for discord

Recent Examples of Synonyms for discord

Noun

That’s a very helpful insight that will, hopefully, save the family from future strife.

— R. Eric Thomas, Mercury News, 25 Aug. 2026
For as productive as Marte has been for Arizona, however, his time in a Diamondbacks uniform, particularly over the past few seasons, has been marked by strife with the organization, both internal and external.

— Johnny Flores Jr, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of strife

Verb

The tome is a more experimental offering than traditional fiction, and relies heavily on the conflicting narration from commenters and Agnes’ internal dialogue.

— CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 21 Aug. 2026
King Charles and his heir, Prince William, have long wanted, and taken steps to create, a streamlined royal family — one more in keeping with the modern world and the often-conflicting desires of the British public.

— Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of conflict

Noun

Trust between the board chair, independent directors, and the CEO helps companies make bolder decisions faster and reduces the friction when discussing emerging risks or opportunities, Brugg says.

— Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Right now, there’s less social friction around using glasses to record than there was when people first started using phones to record public interactions, Quintin suggested.

— Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of friction

Verb

The two squads vying for the Julius Erving Trophy earned their way to the championship clash with impressive playoff victories against the Triplets (Ball Hogs) and the defending champion 305 (Power).

— Juan Carlos Blanco, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
Get used to Aledo clashing with Carroll The scrimmage between the Dragons and Bearcats holds no weight.

— Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Aug. 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

Yet since she was rescued in bad shape in mid-July and transferred to the Ojai Raptor Center for treatment, schisms have formed.

— Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026
The lasting schism among religious groups would ultimately be linked to the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi (1948) and that of Indira Gandhi (1984).

— Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of schism

Noun

Alongside analysts and external observers warning that Russia’s full-scale invasion could soon enter a more dangerous phase, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Russian President Vladimir Putin is preparing to escalate the war.

— Sam Meredith, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
Iran is expanding its defense capabilities, an Iranian army commander said Wednesday, after much of the country’s equipment was degraded by US-Israeli strikes in the early days of the war.

— Mustafa Qadri, CNN Money, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of war

Noun

While there may be dissent about how much transparency is the right amount, no one thinks Warsh is going to deliver a lot of it Friday.

— Brian Cheung, NBC news, 28 Aug. 2026
Still, the safety committee voiced little dissent during Police Chief Estella Patterson’s initial presentation on July 14.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of dissent

Cite this Entry

Style

“Discord.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discord. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of discord

noun

verb

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

kith

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 28

Why do we say 'break a leg'?

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes