unmusical

adjective

ˌən-ˈmyü-zi-kəl How to pronounce unmusical (audio)
Definition of unmusicalnext
as in shrill
marked by or producing a harsh combination of sounds a very unmusical chorus of squawks from the angry ravens

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 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
  1. shrill
  2. noisy
  3. dissonant
  4. unpleasant
  5. metallic
  6. inharmonious
  7. cacophonous
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
  • These days, noisy, drunk, barely dressed visitors holiday hard in condos that have been converted into vacation rentals.
    — Linda Robertson, Miami Herald, 16 July 2026
  • An hour before The Breakaway goes live, the production crew forms a human shield across a noisy central London street so presenter Orla Chennaoui can record her opening link uninterrupted.
    — Amelie Claydon, New York Times, 15 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
  • Anyone concerned about coming down with this very unpleasant sickness should avoid lettuces for the time being, says Rabia de Latour, a gastroenterologist at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine.
    — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 15 July 2026
  • Like them, his music seesaws between aggressive and playful, between crowd-pleasing and purposefully unpleasant.
    — Jayson Greene, Pitchfork, 14 July 2026
Definition of unpleasant
Adjective
  • Aside from the clutch, Nyong’o accessorized her New York City premiere attire with gold metallic heels by Aldo and jewelry pieces courtesy of Sabyasachi, further accentuating the gold color scheme of her attire.
    — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 15 July 2026
  • The ceramic version comes in Cloud (off-white), Midnight (metallic black), Petal (blush pink), or Tide (pastel blue-green).
    — Andrew Gebhart, PC Magazine, 13 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

Browse Nearby Words

unmuffling
unmusical
unnamed
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Cite this Entry

“Unmusical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unmusical. Accessed 19 Jul. 2026.

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