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
  • That loon’s shrill call, this rock’s marbled face, and the walleye wriggling several feet below are what’s at home here; the paddler, just a visitor.
    — Story Hinckley, Christian Science Monitor, 28 Oct. 2026
  • With a soprano voice that’s sharp but never shrill, O’Donovan can levitate a heartfelt melody over just about any kind of accompaniment.
    — Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of shrill
Adjective
  • Avoid rows near galleys and lavatories, which tend to be noisy and bright.
    — Iona Brannon, Travel + Leisure, 30 Oct. 2026
  • It’s typically done by helicopters, which are costly, noisy, and polluting.
    — Edd Gent, IEEE Spectrum, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of noisy
Adjective
  • But beneath the pop-culture surface, this is also a story of families, about all the chatter and the cacophonous who-knows-what that goes on when a parent dies in unusual circumstances.
    — Damon Wise, Deadline, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The lower-register instruments in this track are also fairly mellow in the recording, and the subtle bass in the headphones almost pushes them into obscurity, further piling everything into the cacophonous middle.
    — Mark Knapp, PC Magazine, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of cacophonous
Adjective
  • George is being extremely unpleasant toward everyone and seems to be moving toward a breakdown.
    — Alice Burton, Vulture, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Consumers across the country have described to CBS California Investigates, and in hundreds of online reviews, their unpleasant experiences at the stores, alleging they were pressured to make purchases worth thousands of dollars.
    — Amy Corral, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of unpleasant
Adjective
  • Where Bikini Kill’s raw, aggressive, discordant tunes subvert gender expectations imposed on women, Uppity’s sincere and introspective jams refute the self-defeating emotional sterility that patriarchy demands from men.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Trump’s discordant message with one of the top concerns voters are voicing ahead of the midterm elections has seemed heightened by his fixation on beautifying Washington and building a large ballroom at the White House.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of discordant
Adjective
  • Once again, the star added some boldly reflective tones to the look, wearing a pair of Le Silla Bella pewter metallic pumps.
    — Erin Wisti, Footwear News, 31 Oct. 2026
  • Non-metallic shells insulate metallic components, conductive feet provide grounding, and automatic cutoffs monitor temperature.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 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 10 Nov. 2026.

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