1
as in shrill
marked by or producing a harsh combination of sounds
discordant tones coming from the poorly tuned instrument
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in noisy
making loud, confused, and usually unharmonious sounds
the discordant cries of gulls fighting over the fishing boat's castoffs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in aggressive
feeling or displaying eagerness to fight
a troubled, discordant family that would benefit from professional counseling
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in conflicting
not being in agreement or harmony
his views on the proper role of diet in maintaining good health are certainly discordant with most contemporary opinions on the subject
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of discordant
The discordant, Bernard Herrmann-esque bursts of María Portugal’s rich score ratchet up the suspense and foreboding.
—
Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2026
Unproductively, in the confines of the smaller-scale Fyda-Mar stage, the discordant sensory barrage director Oanh Nguyen brings to bear landed on at least one theatergoer as an agitated, irritating distraction.
—Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 13 May 2026
Fortunately, the play’s second act packs a gut-punch that almost makes one forget about the discordant way the first ended.
—Ellise Shafer, Variety, 1 Apr. 2026
Together the flavor is muddled, slightly discordant, but alone the Irish whiskey gets to sing, its apples and pears and slight malt and gentle touch a perfect foil to the zesty front palate of the lemon and the deep finish of the almonds.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 14 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for discordant
Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2026
Unproductively, in the confines of the smaller-scale Fyda-Mar stage, the discordant sensory barrage director Oanh Nguyen brings to bear landed on at least one theatergoer as an agitated, irritating distraction.
—Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 13 May 2026
Fortunately, the play’s second act packs a gut-punch that almost makes one forget about the discordant way the first ended.
—Ellise Shafer, Variety, 1 Apr. 2026
Together the flavor is muddled, slightly discordant, but alone the Irish whiskey gets to sing, its apples and pears and slight malt and gentle touch a perfect foil to the zesty front palate of the lemon and the deep finish of the almonds.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 14 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for discordant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discordant
Adjective
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On shrill winter nights, Moscow’s power is conspicuous, its Orthodox cathedrals and Stalinist high-rises illuminated, though the view falls dim in the autumn and spring, shrouded in sheets of greige.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026
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The chaos is still an acceptable price to pay for Birney’s expertly offputting performance, a shrill mania that gets increasingly comic over time.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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With the spin-off and FDX adopting a new fiscal calendar, Wells cautioned that next week's earnings report could be noisy.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
17 June 2026
-
With the scramble to build data centers and their voracious appetite for electricity, many centers are building their own noisy, off-grid, diesel- or gas-fired power plants.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
16 June 2026
Adjective
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That was a fun one, with both teams staying aggressive throughout the match.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
16 June 2026
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That more aggressive posture has been exemplified in Lewis George's smaller jousts with the mayor over housing and public safety policies, too.—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA Today,
16 June 2026
Adjective
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County election officials have received conflicting advice about how to count votes in case the legislature fails to extend the deadline or implement a new voting system.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
18 June 2026
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Yet decades of conflicting messages about hormone therapy have left many women uncertain about what to believe.—
Lauryn Higgins,
Flow Space,
17 June 2026
Adjective
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In a moment when the genre was bursting with innovators, pushing at its seams from all sides—jubilant, gospel-fiery soul-jazz; the first dissonant strains of free jazz; dizzyingly ambitious big bands; calculated cool—this ensemble seemed to lay back, in tempo and affect.—
Natalie Weiner,
Pitchfork,
19 June 2026
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In 49 games for Brazil, his goal return struck a dissonant chord with the Ballon d’Or campaign that Madrid waged on his behalf only two years ago, when a delegation infamously abandoned the ceremony in Paris upon learning that Manchester City’s midfielder Rodri was to be announced the winner.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
14 June 2026
Adjective
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The interim deal is meant to stop fighting on all fronts, including in Lebanon where Israeli forces are battling the militant Hezbollah group.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
21 June 2026
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Despite an October ceasefire between Israel and the militant group Hamas, the enclave has seen near-daily Israeli attacks that have killed more than 1,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.—
Wafaa Shurafa,
Los Angeles Times,
21 June 2026
Adjective
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Marte, who spent two seasons with the Phillies as an inconsistent but frequently used bullpen arm during their recent playoff runs, will join the Pirates' Triple-A affiliate.—
Peter Chawaga,
Forbes.com,
21 June 2026
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On Thursday, prosecutors dropped the charges against Edwards, Amir Fagan, and Chashonn Toney saying this video is indeed inconsistent with facts in the indictment.—
Megan De Mar,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
Adjective
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Jesus proved over and over again the all-encompassing authority of God, which destroys all inharmonious conditions, including sin and disease.—
Thomas Mitchinson,
Christian Science Monitor,
30 Sep. 2025
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Setting Discordant Personal Goals A 2023 study published in Current Psychology finds that partners’ inharmonious goals can have detrimental effects on relationships.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes,
29 Mar. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Discordant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discordant. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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