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 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 The crowd sings the chorus in dissonant harmony. — Christopher Buchanan, Los Angeles Times, 18 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
  • Amid the rumblings of construction at nearby David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, the sound of a shrill whistle and chopping feet at the nearby Murfin Family Practice Fields signaled one thing.
    — Christian Marshall, Kansas City Star, 5 Aug. 2026
  • That trademark indecision of summer takes root in her words and spreads through the music until her vocals diverge in the chorus, peeling like a clementine’s skin as one shrill line scales upward and the other remains monotone.
    — Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 21 July 2026
Definition of shrill
Adjective
  • The central location comes with a touch of weekend bustle—Big Bear Boulevard can get noisy—but the trade-off for walkability is worth it.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Aug. 2026
  • This impending surge in lunar traffic makes time-sensitive missions like CosmoCube crucial to capturing the universe’s earliest faint signals before the quietest sanctuary in the solar system becomes noisy.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of noisy
Adjective
  • That little note turned into this absolute cacophonous thunderstorm, all from that one note on the guitar.
    — Simon Vozick-Levinson, Rolling Stone, 11 Aug. 2026
  • In a packed, bustling restaurant, collective chatter reaches cacophonous levels, which is where mechanic Ninh (Nguyễn Quốc Tuấn) comes in.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of cacophonous
Adjective
  • Cleanup Challenges Cleaning up after your home has been inundated with smoke from wildfires is unpleasant, difficult and potentially unhealthy.
    — Jamie Gold, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Now over time in retirement, daily life has become unpleasant.
    — R. Eric Thomas, Washington Post, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of unpleasant
Adjective
  • Alongside my memories of sylvan bliss lurk the discordant effects of terrible violence in a place that almost never sees it.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The excellent quartet carries a dose of Nineties alt-rock, while Williams’ vocals sink into the potent lyrics and discordant, dreamy instrumentals.
    — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of discordant
Adjective
  • For these works, Warhol covered canvases in a metallic gold and copper background and had friends and acquaintances urinate directly onto them.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Made from bright metallic gold leather, the sandals feature crossed vamp straps, an open round toe, an adjustable ankle strap and gold hardware.
    — Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 18 Aug. 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
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dissonant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dissonant. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

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