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 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 Thus, the dissonance between the calm many people expect from a ceasefire and near-daily reports of ongoing fighting. — ABC News, 1 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for dissonance

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dissonance

Noun

The woman’s vanity and the husband’s forgetfulness collide to sow chaos and discord in the house.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026
The discord meant the program spent much of the summer hiring replacement correspondents, including Ross Douthat, a conservative New York Times opinion writer with no experience as a TV journalist.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of discord

Noun

That friction, between floppy and finely made, sits at the heart of Esh’s ever-evolving vision for his namesake label.

— Tianwei Zhang, Footwear News, 18 Sep. 2026
The frictions in Russia’s wartime economy are growing, as massive military spending balloons the budget deficit.

— ABC News, ABC News, 18 Sep. 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

October, the best time in the baseball calendar, will be at least a little different this year because of the labor strife that awaits in the offseason.

— Jim Bowden, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Congress created temporary protections in 1990 TPS was created by Congress in 1990 to prevent deportations to countries suffering from natural disasters or civil strife.

— Julia Ainsley, NBC news, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of strife

Noun

Before the conflict, Qatar exported almost one-fifth of the world’s LNG, all of it through the Strait of Hormuz.

— Lauren Morganbesser, semafor.com, 22 Sep. 2026
Moldova reports another drone incursion During the aerial barrages, drones have repeatedly strayed into neighboring countries, unnerving leaders who are wary of Russia and fear being dragged into conflict.

— Samya Kullab, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of conflict

Noun

The countries trying to broker an end to the Iran conflict — Oman, Pakistan, and Qatar — are themselves facing military attacks and economic strain from the war, an unusual dynamic that factors into the incentives and urgency behind their mediation.

— Lauren Morganbesser, semafor.com, 22 Sep. 2026
But Washington's negotiations with Tehran over their own war fell apart weeks ago.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of war

Noun

The book follows this story for the critical eight years between 1527 and 1535, which led to the enduring schism that created the Church of England.

— David Faris, TheWeek, 16 Sep. 2026
But schisms and heel digging are probably inevitable in such uncertain fields, Catling says.

— Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of schism

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dissolving

dissonance

dissonances

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“Dissonance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dissonance. Accessed 25 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of dissonance

noun

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