dissonance

noun

ˈdi-sə-nən(t)s How to pronounce dissonance (audio)
Definition of dissonancenext
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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 This dissonance carries over into Ali’s subsequent revenge mission. — Alison Herman, Variety, 1 June 2026 Diné weaver Marilou Schultz has been probing the harmonies and dissonances between these technologies since the 1960s. — Lua Vollaard, ARTnews.com, 24 June 2026 Conversely, a manager who is uncertain or disengaged compounds any existing dissonance. — Guy Yehiav, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026 For Obery Hendricks, an ordained elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church who teaches religion at Columbia University, the dissonance is both aesthetic and religious. — Jason Derose, NPR, 26 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for dissonance
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dissonance
  1. discord
  2. friction
  3. discordance
  4. strife
  5. conflict
  6. discordancy
  7. war
  8. schism
Noun
  • But the discord between the two leaders stretches far beyond disagreements over the conflict in the Middle East.
    — Tiago Ventura, Time, 24 June 2026
  • Despite the discord, the regime is likely to have the final say.
    — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 14 June 2026
Definition of discord
Noun
  • Other insiders dispute this characterization, saying Gunn, Safran and Gillespie had the normal amount of healthy friction any filmmaker and studio have as part of the process of making a movie better.
    — Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 3 July 2026
  • The energy is stored as rotational momentum in an environment of near-zero friction.
    — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 3 July 2026
Definition of friction
Noun
  • 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
  • The songs bounce from discordance and disorientation to harmoniousness and repose — even in the uneasy moments, the songs don't sink.
    — Audrey Gibbs, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
Definition of discordance
Noun
  • When her parents — the wonderful June Diane Raphael and Tom Everett Scott — fall into professional reputational strife, the family is forced to relocate to Seattle to rebuild their lives.
    — Scarlett Harris, IndieWire, 6 July 2026
  • But labor strife here is spilling off of the docks and into City Hall, with political implications for Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, himself a former labor organizer who is expected to run for reelection in less than a year.
    — Talia Soglin, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026
Definition of strife
Noun
  • The conflict has killed at least 59,000 people, displaced some 13 million and pushed many parts of Sudan into famine.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
  • After more than four years of war between Russia and Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin has made a rare admission that the conflict has caused his country a problem.
    — Justin Klawans, TheWeek, 7 July 2026
Definition of conflict
Noun
  • The discordancy is so intriguing — like learning that Katharine Graham went to nude encounter sessions at Esalen, or Alan Greenspan was once in a Lynyrd Skynyrd cover band.
    — New York Times, New York Times, 17 Nov. 2021
Definition of discordancy
Noun
  • Alnaji was part of a pro-Palestinian group protesting over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and Kessler was demonstrating in support of Israel, authorities have said.
    — Phil Helsel, NBC news, 2 July 2026
  • The war period saw its own moments of threats to rights, such as suspending habeas corpus, the legal mechanism to prevent arbitrary detention.
    — Chris Kenning, USA Today, 2 July 2026
Definition of war
Noun
  • The Vatican said dialogue was offered to the ​group ahead of the schism and that the step of ordaining ​bishops without ⁠church approval was considered so grave that excommunication was automatic.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 5 July 2026
  • Parishioners at Saint Agnes said they were saddened by the schism and would continue to pray for a united church.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 July 2026
Definition of schism

Browse Nearby Words

dissolving
dissonance
dissonances
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Cite this Entry

“Dissonance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dissonance. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on dissonance

Nglish: Translation of dissonance for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dissonance

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