Synonyms of dissonance

dissonance

noun

ˈdi-sə-nən(t)s 

as in discord

a lack of agreement or harmony

the dissonance between what we are told and what we see with our own eyes

Synonyms & Similar Words

• discord
• friction
• discordance
• strife
• conflict
• discordancy
• war
• schism
• warfare
• dissent
• division
• clash
• disharmony
• dispute
• variance
• disunity
• dissension
• hostility
• infighting
• altercation
• dissidence
• inharmony
• disagreement
• disunion
• disaccord
• divide
• argument
• contention
• collision
• debate
• fissure
• fight
• incongruity
• competition
• quarrel
• inconsistency
• incongruence
• brawl
• incompatibility
• squabble
• animosity
• antagonism
• spat
• falling-out
• tiff
• run-in
• bicker
• enmity
• wrangle
• rancor
• row
• antipathy
• incongruousness
• mix-up
• inconsistence
• cold war
• jar
• hassle
• inconsonance
• miff
• ill will
• scrap
• inharmoniousness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• agreement
• harmony
• peace
• accord
• cooperation
• concord
• concordance
• concurrence

Example Sentences

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