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 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
  1. discord
  2. friction
  3. discordance
  4. strife
  5. conflict
  6. discordancy
  7. war
  8. schism
Noun
  • Police have not revealed a motive for the attack, but court records exposed months of discord that appeared to be worsening.
    — Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
  • At a time of international discord, supporting Syria’s future has become a rare point of consensus – and the reason largely lies in geography.
    — Tala Alrajjal, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of discord
Noun
  • Bryan has rarely shied away from friction with powerful figures.
    — Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Mercury in your partnership house squares Mars in your 4th, creating friction between another person’s perspective and what feels comfortable or settled to you.
    — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 2 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
  • 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
  • The indirect talks come as the conflict, which is entering its eighth month, has caused global economic damage and badly battered Iran.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Far more famous conflicts had a bond element, even a central one, Wigglesworth found.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 29 Sep. 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
  • The diplomatic push comes as physical supply data shows the war’s toll on the oil market easing.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026
  • That deal seeks to temporarily manage shipping traffic on what was seen as an international waterway before the war.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 29 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

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 3 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on dissonance

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dissonance

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