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 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 Next is a deeply tragic slow movement, suggesting a more dissonant processing of Mahler and Strauss. — Scott Cantrell, Dallas Morning News, 21 Mar. 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
  • On shrill winter nights, Moscow’s power is conspicuous, its Orthodox cathedrals and Stalinist high-rises illuminated, though the view falls dim in the autumn and spring, shrouded in sheets of greige.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026
  • The chaos is still an acceptable price to pay for Birney’s expertly offputting performance, a shrill mania that gets increasingly comic over time.
    — Alison Herman, Variety, 26 Mar. 2026
Definition of shrill
Adjective
  • The next report could produce a noisy response once again so we’re focused on the levels.
    — Josh Brown,Sean Russo, CNBC, 9 July 2026
  • The second version of his hearing aid aimed to amplify the sound of a specific person’s voice in a conversation in a noisy environment.
    — Nollyanne Delacruz, Mercury News, 8 July 2026
Definition of noisy
Adjective
  • In its cacophonous surroundings, the White House stood serene.
    — Mark Puleo, New York Times, 11 June 2026
  • In the black and Carrara marble lobby, the vibe is modern and futuristic, with a cacophonous waterfall tumbling down the walls in a stream of fluorescent colors and a lone scarlet grand piano bringing a pleasing pop of color.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 May 2026
Definition of cacophonous
Adjective
  • Still, some unpleasant times may loom for the entities that depend on property tax revenue.
    — George Avalos, Mercury News, 6 July 2026
  • Taking the time to clean vent covers also prevents buildup that can lead to unpleasant odors, extra noise, or premature wear on your heating and cooling system.
    — Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 6 July 2026
Definition of unpleasant
Adjective
  • In their third and final decade as one of America’s greatest bands, Sonic Youth had all but given up on pushing their discordant art rock into the mainstream.
    — Al Shipley, SPIN, 29 June 2026
  • One post from February features a self-portrait to which Longo added ominous, discordant music and the grain of a CCTV camera, like a prisoner in a horror movie.
    — Christopher Hooks, Harpers Magazine, 23 June 2026
Definition of discordant
Adjective
  • The jersey’s circular motif was also directly inspired by Magritte’s La Voix des airs (Voice of Space, 1931), which depicts metallic spheres floating in a clear blue sky over a grassy landscape.
    — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 8 July 2026
  • This accumulation of electrons reduces the charge on nearby lithium ions, directly forcing them to solidify into battery-killing metallic dendrites.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 7 July 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 12 Jul. 2026.

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