discord 1 of 2

discord

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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
However, the pair have had a history of discord. Erica Marrison, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2025 When a mother tree is felled, the survival rate of many of its seedlings may be drastically reduced, a process not unlike the reciprocal feedback loop of Yggdrasill, whose deterioration in response to discord in the nine realms spells cosmic collapse. Ellen Walker, JSTOR Daily, 3 Sep. 2025 Growing discord between Democrats over the ongoing war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas flared during the second day of the Democratic National Committee's (DNC) summer meeting. Staff, FOXNews.com, 28 Aug. 2025 Tustin discord on a 75-yard, seven-play drive in the first half’s final 59 seconds. Steve Fryer, Oc Register, 22 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for discord
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discord
Noun
  • Tensions arise when a struggling, idealistic poet meets his girlfriend’s family at their idyllic, hillside countryside home in Hong Sang-soo’s latest feature — a quietly profound meditation on the complexities of filial love and familial strife.
    Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 30 Sep. 2025
  • The singer has been compared to the late Amy Winehouse, in part because both are British and have deep, soulful voices that sing about personal strife and conflict.
    Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 30 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Daniels also said the bill could conflict with the higher education overhaul, Senate Bill 1, which prohibits universities from taking a position on controversial beliefs or policies.
    Jessie Balmert, Cincinnati Enquirer, 6 Oct. 2025
  • The Bureau of Labor Statistics is not expected to release its September jobs report this morning while the government is shut down, leaving employers to parse conflicting private-sector reports instead.
    Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 3 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The passage of the ACA in 2010 and its implementation have only intensified this friction.
    Simon F. Haeder, The Conversation, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Armenian prisoners of war in Azerbaijan remain a point of friction and the rhetoric over the corridor has not died down.
    Michele Crestani, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Roll with the chaos as the moon and Uranus clash.
    USA TODAY, USA Today, 4 Oct. 2025
  • The Maranello outfit released Leclerc into the path of Norris, causing the pair to clash and the McLaren driver to crash into the wall.
    Lydia Mee, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The sport of off-roading suffers from a fundamental discordance: The desire to get out into nature and the irreparable harm inherent in the process of off-roading.
    Tim Stevens, ArsTechnica, 25 July 2025
  • Many of the tunes including sprawling intros and jam sessions, all melded together with discordance, reverb and instrumental solos.
    Audrey Gibbs, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
Noun
  • Signs of a minor schism emerged at Sunderland last week, when Emery was critical of deadline-day acquisition Harvey Elliott.
    Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
  • This brings us to the differences between the characters, which point to pivotal schisms between Anderson and Pynchon as storytellers.
    Andrew McGowan, Variety, 26 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • To end the war and reunite the remaining hostages with their mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters.
    Romina Ruiz-Goiriena, USA Today, 4 Oct. 2025
  • Broadening the menu with less expensive options is also a way for chain restaurants to fight back against fast food chains, which are currently embroiled in a war amongst themselves, according to Maeve Webster, president of consulting firm Menu Matters.
    Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The discordancy is so intriguing — like learning that Katharine Graham went to nude encounter sessions at Esalen, or Alan Greenspan was once in a Lynyrd Skynyrd cover band.
    New York Times, New York Times, 17 Nov. 2021

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Cite this Entry

“Discord.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discord. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.

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