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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 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

So far, counter-efforts have involved both protectionist and industrial policies, including â€œMade in Europeâ€� rules that have stoked discord among some of Europeâ€™s largest economies.

— Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Officials say one goal of the attacks is to undermine support for Ukraine, spread fear and discord in European societies and drain investigative resources.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of discord

Noun

Washington, for its part, is creating friction in many of its partnerships instead of deepening them, and risks squandering its network just as its adversaries are learning to make more of theirs.

— Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Foreign Affairs, 16 Oct. 2026
If deleting your account takes an email to support, a waiting period and a follow-up, that friction is a design choice.

— Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 16 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 group’s plans for the Middle East have been affected by the regional conflict, which has put some expansion activity in the region on hold.

— Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 19 Oct. 2026
Given that the United States keeps getting mired in errant conflicts, Congress urgently needs to reassert its constitutional obligation to approve acts of war and oversee retrenchment.

— Charles Kupchan, Foreign Affairs, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of conflict

Noun

The ongoing war in Iran has centered on nuclear issues, including enrichment—Iranian officials have resisted any peace-deal terms that restrict the country’s enrichment program.

— Nick Bockelman, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Lessons from the smartphone wars Zuckerberg’s push to own the full stack may stem from his nearly two-decade rivalry with Apple and Google, which control the world’s dominant smartphone platforms.

— Molly A. Wallace, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of war

Noun

One schism Hagar would like to repair, of course, is with former bandmate Alex Van Halen.

— Gary Graff, Billboard, 13 Oct. 2026
This is Kubrick’s modus operandi throughout the film, setting up scenes where furniture moves from shot to shot, wall decorations change, and there are further schisms between Ullman’s exposition and the reality that transpires.

— Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of schism

Browse Nearby Words

dissolving

dissonance

dissonances

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Dissonance.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dissonance. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of dissonance

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on dissonance

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

compunction

Popular in Grammar & Usage

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Popular

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

Games & Quizzes