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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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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
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
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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.
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The chaos is still an acceptable price to pay for Birney’s expertly offputting performance, a shrill mania that gets increasingly comic over time.
Adjective
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After Tuesday night’s noisy earnings report, FedEx is down around 1% in midmorning trading, off its lows of the session.
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McGee also prioritizes authentic community on platforms like Substack over noisy social media.
Adjective
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In a moment when the genre was bursting with innovators, pushing at its seams from all sides—jubilant, gospel-fiery soul-jazz; the first dissonant strains of free jazz; dizzyingly ambitious big bands; calculated cool—this ensemble seemed to lay back, in tempo and affect.
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In 49 games for Brazil, his goal return struck a dissonant chord with the Ballon d’Or campaign that Madrid waged on his behalf only two years ago, when a delegation infamously abandoned the ceremony in Paris upon learning that Manchester City’s midfielder Rodri was to be announced the winner.
Adjective
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Fresh grass clippings are great for masking naturally unpleasant odors in the garden by simply using them to cover the offensive materials.
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This could be an indication that the P-trap under the sink has dried out, which means water no longer blocks unpleasant smells from rising.
Adjective
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Alternatively, lean into parachute pants' casual sheen by opting for a pair in metallic nylon or satin.
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That includes the overhanging flat roof supported by thin gold metallic columns.
Adjective
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We are made loving, good, and pure – entirely free from any inharmonious tendency.
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Setting Discordant Personal Goals A 2023 study published in Current Psychology finds that partners’ inharmonious goals can have detrimental effects on relationships.
Adjective
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In its cacophonous surroundings, the White House stood serene.
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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.
Cite this Entry
“Unmusical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unmusical. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
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