1
as in shrill
marked by or producing a harsh combination of sounds
discordant tones coming from the poorly tuned instrument
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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
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3
as in aggressive
feeling or displaying eagerness to fight
a troubled, discordant family that would benefit from professional counseling
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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of discordant
But dreams can easily turn into nightmares, and this particular lullaby is more than a little discordant.
—
Philip Elliott, Time, 19 June 2025
Without musical harmony, society itself would become discordant.
—Jane Levere, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
The work’s third movement offers an intriguing pizzicato section, as well moments of discordant — though not somber — unease.
—Sheila Regan, Twin Cities, 11 July 2025
Nelson’s guitar playing was alternately sweet and jarringly discordant.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for discordant
Philip Elliott, Time, 19 June 2025
Without musical harmony, society itself would become discordant.
—Jane Levere, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
The work’s third movement offers an intriguing pizzicato section, as well moments of discordant — though not somber — unease.
—Sheila Regan, Twin Cities, 11 July 2025
Nelson’s guitar playing was alternately sweet and jarringly discordant.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for discordant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for discordant
Adjective
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The warnings start coming in, first shrill alarms from our cellphones alerting us of a tornado warning, and then the stirring call of tornado-warning sirens outside of the windows.—
Colleen Hagerty,
Rolling Stone,
27 July 2025
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The shrill, ominous sound is instantly recognizable, and for anyone who’s experienced the real thing, gut-churning.—
Will Ripley,
CNN Money,
17 July 2025
Adjective
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The noisy ones have either hope or larceny in their souls.—
Chip Bell,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
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Rez said platforms should build internal mechanisms that elevated antisemitism protections above noisy or majority-sourced signals in training.—
Peter Aitken,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Potential Fed chair David Zervos backs an aggressive rate cut.—
Yeo Boon Ping,
CNBC,
15 Aug. 2025
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The former Calle 13 member impresses her sensitivity to this piece, originally written by Orlando Brito and popularized in 1975 by the great Héctor Lavoe, giving it new life with her powerful, dramatic voice, accompanied by street guitars and harsh, aggressive chords that captivate the listener.—
Jessica Roiz,
Billboard,
15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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And the Trump administration has given conflicting signals.—
Jonathan Lambert,
NPR,
6 Aug. 2025
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Biohackers hear lots of conflicting advice about where to focus their energies.—
Tad Friend,
New Yorker,
4 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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By plunging the viewer into this chaotic inner world, Aster illustrates the dissonant appeal of being enmeshed in the perspective of, and maybe even rooting for, an individual committed to their belief in justice—even if that commitment can border on sordid.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
23 July 2025
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The dissonant hoover synths seethe like Bernard Herrmann strings — echoing the lyrics’ references to Hitchcock’s Psycho, Vertigo, and Rear Window.—
Kristen S. Hé,
Vulture,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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While some agree with early views of student protestors that Israel is carrying out a campaign of cruelty and ethnic cleansing in Gaza, others insist Hamas, the militant group in control of the region, which attacked Israel on Oct. 7, sparking the war, is solely responsible for the suffering.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
5 Aug. 2025
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Videos released by the militant groups Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad last week showed hostages Evyatar David and Rom Braslavski in a visibly fragile state – images that galvanized a forceful reaction both at home and abroad.—
Dana Karni,
CNN Money,
3 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Workers claim the organization has insufficient training, abrupt terminations, and inconsistent wages and raises.—
Maya Bell,
jsonline.com,
7 Aug. 2025
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At the federal level, Shaughnessy emphasized the urgent need to eliminate inconsistent tariffs.—
Angela Velasquez,
Footwear News,
5 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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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
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For sixteen hours a week, Valentine hopes to share some melody in a place that, for some, can feel inharmonious.—
Washington Post,
Washington Post,
24 July 2021
Cite this Entry
“Discordant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/discordant. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
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