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
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 dissonant
The cast fragmented, with the Byers family and El trying to start over in California while Hopper languished in a tonally dissonant Soviet gulag, as though the Duffers didn’t realize that what people loved most about Stranger Things was its grounding in Hawkins.
—
Judy Berman, Time, 26 Dec. 2025
But Roofman, which Cianfrance also co-wrote, was clearly intended to be lighter fare and instead ends up in this dissonant in-between space tonally.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2025
Jonny Greenwood’s score moves between soaring strings and dissonant piano keys, alternately soothing and anxious; a few pieces composed by Jon Brion add an ambient layer of wistfulness.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 26 Sep. 2025
Jonny Greenwood’s score moves between soaring strings and dissonant piano keys, alternately soothing and anxious; a few pieces composed by Jon Brion add an ambient layer of wistfulness.
—Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dissonant
Judy Berman, Time, 26 Dec. 2025
But Roofman, which Cianfrance also co-wrote, was clearly intended to be lighter fare and instead ends up in this dissonant in-between space tonally.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2025
Jonny Greenwood’s score moves between soaring strings and dissonant piano keys, alternately soothing and anxious; a few pieces composed by Jon Brion add an ambient layer of wistfulness.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 26 Sep. 2025
Jonny Greenwood’s score moves between soaring strings and dissonant piano keys, alternately soothing and anxious; a few pieces composed by Jon Brion add an ambient layer of wistfulness.
—Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dissonant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dissonant
Adjective
-
Joe’s voice rose to a shrill cry.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
-
There’s a straight line between the criminal investigation of Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell and increasingly shrill threats to seize Greenland.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The world was a noisy, crowded place in that era.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Feb. 2026
-
This is the best place both to hear the speech (otherwise the room is too noisy) and to watch the faces of people gathered around the screens.—
Anne Applebaum,
The Atlantic,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Trump’s second term has been cacophonous with threats—to acquire Greenland, ethnically cleanse Gaza, make a state of Canada, throw the world economy into convulsions.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
10 Jan. 2026
-
This time, the commission’s bargaining position was undercut from the start by a cacophonous chorus, with key member states preemptively voicing their opposition to retaliation.—
Matthias Matthijs,
Foreign Affairs,
12 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
When Luna conjoins intense Pluto, our feelings about such shifts might burst out in unpleasant ways!—
Tarot.com,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Though a person infected with the virus may experience unpleasant symptoms, others may be asymptomatic and show no symptoms at all.—
Adrianna Rodriguez,
USA Today,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
But Cialente also captures the discordant keys of a multigenerational household, from childlike angst to youthful rebellion to marital frustration.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Baumbach’s remarkably faithful take on Don DeLillo’s absurdist 1985 novel is a half-thrilling, half-discordant attempt to harmonize two distinct voices.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
5 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
The new model’s color options are also worth mentioning, with the Premium Super Lowpro Trainer introducing new metallic finishes and full-suede constructions to the on-trend look.—
Riley Jones,
Footwear News,
13 Feb. 2026
-
The sauce could take on a metallic taste or start to break down the seasoning on your skillet.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
13 Feb. 2026
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
Adjective
-
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
-
For sixteen hours a week, Valentine hopes to share some melody in a place that, for some, can feel inharmonious.—
Washington Post,
Washington Post,
24 July 2021
Cite this Entry
“Dissonant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dissonant. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
