UNMUSICAL Synonyms: 77 Similar and Opposite Words

unmusical

adjective

ˌən-ˈmyü-zi-kəl

Definition of unmusical

as in shrill

marked by or producing a harsh combination of sounds a very unmusical chorus of squawks from the angry ravens

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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 unmusical 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, 3 Oct. 2019 Paradoxically, then, the man most involved in the development of the electric guitar was the unmusical Leo Fender. — David Kirby, WSJ, 17 Jan. 2019 The controversy of Schoenberg’s serialist works—the overwhelming reaction to them as ugly, nightmarish, simply unmusical—shows how firmly tonality had come to condition habits of listening. — Paul Grimstad, The New Republic, 21 June 2018

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unmusical

Adjective

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
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

Definition of shrill

Adjective

The noisy, chaotic sound of her 2019 release helped set the stage for Carti’s Whole Lotta Red, which brought rage to the mainstream and pushed rap at large toward more aggressive sounds in the 2020s.

— Mehan Jayasuriya, Pitchfork, 24 July 2026
According to Gruber, this is similar to humans talking in a crowded and noisy nightclub or bar.

— Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 22 July 2026

Definition of noisy

Adjective

At the track’s apex Korten explodes in and out of dissonant broken chords against Mark Shim’s angular saxophone lines, an unexpected development that sneaks up on you thanks to Sorey’s sticky, slowly evolving drumming.

— Rae-Aila Crumble, Pitchfork, 25 June 2026
This is reminding me of watching Slint play a reunion show in 2014 under the I-65 highway at a festival in Louisville, and how simultaneously awesome and cognitively dissonant that experience was.

— Jonathan Cohen, SPIN, 25 June 2026

Definition of dissonant

Adjective

While some may be looking for more reasons to eat cookies, many more are simply hesitating to eat salads and other fresh produce amid a multistate outbreak of cyclospora, known for that unpleasant symptom, among others.

— Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 22 July 2026
Principal owner John Middleton recently discussed the challenging decision to dismiss longtime manager Rob Thomson, admitting that terminating employees remains the most difficult and unpleasant aspect of his executive role, even after decades.

— Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026

Definition of unpleasant

Adjective

Designed to be worn as a brooch, it is housed in black-and-bronze packaging featuring a metallic shield emblem, commemorative plaque and the replica pin.

— Anthony DeMarco, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
The midi-length, sleeveless dress featured an allover silver metallic sequin embellishment and a dramatic black feather trim on the skirt.

— Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 21 July 2026

Definition of metallic

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

Adjective

Despite its simple premise, Raimi’s eccentric, expressive filmmaking style, combined with the film’s unyielding, cacophonous splatter horror, made The Evil Dead instantly notorious.

— Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 10 July 2026
In its cacophonous surroundings, the White House stood serene.

— Mark Puleo, New York Times, 11 June 2026

Definition of cacophonous

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unmuffling

unmusical

unnamed

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“Unmusical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unmusical. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of unmusical

adjective

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