DISSONANCE Synonyms: 72 Similar and Opposite Words

dissonance

noun

ˈdi-sə-nən(t)s

Definition of dissonance

as in discord

a lack of agreement or harmony the dissonance between what we are told and what we see with our own eyes

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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 dissonance The dissonance is reflected in the gap between the confident pronouncements of Chinese leaders — aimed at an international audience — and their domestic anxieties. — Andy Browne, semafor.com, 21 July 2026 The first sequence plays out with breathtaking suspense, the second with wrenching tragedy; the difference is calibrated by the composer Ludwig Göransson, whose score pulses with mournful dissonance and martial fury. — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 17 July 2026 Her full-length works often feature people, especially women, holding their ground and deviating from societal expectations, which creates dissonance between their internal and external worlds. — Sky Davis, Christian Science Monitor, 13 July 2026 Conversely, a manager who is uncertain or disengaged compounds any existing dissonance. — Guy Yehiav, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for dissonance

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dissonance

Noun

Once the wicker creation proves far more extraordinary, discord and jealousy upset the fisherwoman’s quiet village.

— Julia Teti, Footwear News, 21 Oct. 2026
Dolan was right that distractions can trip up a team, sowing just enough discord among its players to derail their chances at another title, and cut short their fans' chances at another joyous summer.

— Noah Shachtman, Vanity Fair, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of discord

Noun

When there must be some interlude of friction or a character needs to be brought low, The Gilded Age’s preferred mechanism is a dinner, ideally a fancy one with a complicated guest list and a variety of logistical obstacles.

— Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2026
All machines have their friction; and possibly this does enough good to counterbalance the evil.

— René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of friction

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 core elements—airy melodies, drug talk, copious ad-libs—are old hat, but frank tales of suburban ennui and romantic strife give the Minneapolis rapper’s latest album a refreshingly personal air.

— Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 21 Oct. 2026
There have been reports of internal strife at the London bureau at CBS News over the tone of its Middle East coverage since Bari Weiss, a strong supporter of Israel, took over as the network’s editor in chief last year.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of strife

Noun

The vote, which had been scheduled for last week, was delayed after two days of deliberations because of growing wariness among Egyptians concerned about an intervention in Yemen's long-running conflict.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026
The risk of conflict is growing and the threat to the international economy is severe.

— Dan Blumenthal, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of conflict

Noun

While Healey is expected to let a reduction in his fiscal buffer do most of the work on the basis that the Iran war has blown a hole in his accounts, tax increases are still likely.

— Ian King, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2026
In March, the Pentagon reportedly began shipping Patriot and THAAD components from South Korea to the Middle East to support the Iran war.

— Dan Blumenthal, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of war

Noun

Cornelius’s pontificate was complicated by a schism, caused by the self-appointment of the Roman priest Novatian as antipope (the second in papal history) and by the dispute over the church’s attitude toward Christian apostates.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026
Swift was preternaturally avoidant of zealotry, with the obscure religious wars between the Lilliputians and the Blefscuans over how to crack an egg reminiscent of internecine Christian schisms concerning the real presence in the Eucharist.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of schism

Browse Nearby Words

dissolving

dissonance

dissonances

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“Dissonance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dissonance. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of dissonance

noun

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