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dissonant

adjective

ˈdi-sə-nənt How to pronounce dissonant (audio)
Definition of dissonantnext
as in shrill
marked by or producing a harsh combination of sounds a dissonant chorus of noises arose from the busy construction site

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 dissonant In 49 games for Brazil, his goal return struck a dissonant chord with the Ballon d’Or campaign that Madrid waged on his behalf only two years ago, when a delegation infamously abandoned the ceremony in Paris upon learning that Manchester City’s midfielder Rodri was to be announced the winner. — James Horncastle, New York Times, 14 June 2026 As things got crazier with our heroes and the Supes, things became more dissonant. — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 12 June 2026 That question is at the crux of Irish filmmaker John Carney’s sixth sometimes magical, at times tonally dissonant solo directorial feature. — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 3 June 2026 But recent research found that members of the Tsimane’, a native Amazonian society in Bolivia, rate consonant and dissonant chords as equally pleasurable. — Literary Hub, 20 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for dissonant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dissonant
  1. shrill
  2. noisy
  3. cacophonous
  4. unpleasant
  5. discordant
  6. metallic
  7. unmusical
  8. inharmonious
Adjective
  • But about five minutes later, a sharp cracking sound momentarily replaced the shrill squeal of sirens, and the top half of the South Tower imploded, bringing the entire thing down.
    — Timothy Townsend, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The shrill call of the shofar ensures no one falls asleep during lengthy Jewish High Holy Day services each year.
    — Lois K. Solomon, Sun Sentinel, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of shrill
Adjective
  • The Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery (7 miles north of San Simeon) remains full of massive, delightfully noisy beasts.
    — David G. Allan, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The passionate fans, especially the loyalists in his native Michigan, were getting too restless and noisy.
    — Brian McCollum, Freep.com, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of noisy
Adjective
  • In one, during a ribbon-cutting ceremony to unveil the new White House helipad, a project the president has shown tremendous pride in, he couldn’t be heard over the cacophonous din of Marine One.
    — Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Anyone who stands in front of De Kooning’s urgent, sensuously greedy drawings, with their writhing contours, cacophonous colors, and perverse processes, can feel the force of that craving.
    — Sebastian Smee, The Atlantic, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of cacophonous
Adjective
  • When considering thrift store furniture with upholstery, always check the cushions and padding for unpleasant odors.
    — Felicia Feaster, Martha Stewart, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Impact on regional planning Several Davidson town commissioners noted their own unpleasant history with the I-77 North toll lanes project.
    — DJ Simmons, Charlotte Observer, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of unpleasant
Adjective
  • The constant contrast between pristine nature and industrial machinery is accompanied by a discordant synth-heavy score by composer Robert Nacken, that, at times, pushes the film along and, at others, deliberately drags against it.
    — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Meanwhile, Jim Williams’ score effectively undermines the beauty parlour as a place of pre-wedding excitement and anticipation with discordant electro-pop — just ever so slightly suggesting that nothing good is set to happen here.
    — Miriam Balanescu, IndieWire, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of discordant
Adjective
  • Rome, where the brand was founded, remains a core inspiration, and this season, silks with a metallic effect added a luxurious shine to Brioni’s color palette, which included white, shades of blue and white and terracotta.
    — Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Elizabeth Hurley, 61, stunned in a lacy pink midi dress and metallic heels during a rare, mother-son date night in London with Damian Hurley, 24.
    — Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of metallic
Adjective
  • Those songs remind Omara of real people and real events, political interludes whose senselessness and brutality have left unmusical lacunae in her life.
    — Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 18 Dec. 2023
  • His parents were unmusical Russian-Jewish immigrants who ran various businesses with mixed success.
    — The Economist, The Economist, 3 Oct. 2019
Definition of unmusical
Adjective
  • We are made loving, good, and pure – entirely free from any inharmonious tendency.
    — Margaret Rogers, Christian Science Monitor, 15 Apr. 2026
  • Setting Discordant Personal Goals A 2023 study published in Current Psychology finds that partners’ inharmonious goals can have detrimental effects on relationships.
    — Mark Travers, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Definition of inharmonious

Browse Nearby Words

dissonances
dissonant
dissuade
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Cite this Entry

“Dissonant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dissonant. Accessed 30 Sep. 2026.

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