Did you know?
The root of "dissonant" is the Latin verb sonare. Can you guess what "sonare" means? Here's a hint: some related derivatives are "sonata," "supersonic," and "resonance." Does it sound to you as if "sonare" has something to do with sound? If so, you're right. In fact, sonare means "to sound, is related to the Latin noun sonus (meaning "sound"), and is an ancestor of the English word sound. "Dissonant" includes the negative prefix dis-. What is "dissonant," therefore, sounds inharmonic, conflicting, or clashing.
Examples of dissonant in a Sentence
a dissonant chorus of noises arose from the busy construction site
Recent Examples on the Web
There’s no denying the fact that Severance (nearing the end of its sophomore season on Apple TV+) has refined priceless television gold from dissonant contradiction.
—
Josh Weiss, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025
Thus, the best skinny jeans will boast a lower front rise and a slightly higher back rise to accommodate the dissonant sitting and standing coverage requirements.
—Bestreviews, The Mercury News, 6 Mar. 2025
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ pristine, industrial synth-forward score adds a fittingly dissonant soundscape with melodies that blossom once the pair’s relationship takes shape.
—Courtney Howard, Variety, 13 Feb. 2025
His first two albums, the glitter-rave of Osama Season and the starkly dissonant Flex Musix, were entirely solo except for the beatmakers.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dissonant
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.
Josh Weiss, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025
Thus, the best skinny jeans will boast a lower front rise and a slightly higher back rise to accommodate the dissonant sitting and standing coverage requirements.
—Bestreviews, The Mercury News, 6 Mar. 2025
Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’ pristine, industrial synth-forward score adds a fittingly dissonant soundscape with melodies that blossom once the pair’s relationship takes shape.
—Courtney Howard, Variety, 13 Feb. 2025
His first two albums, the glitter-rave of Osama Season and the starkly dissonant Flex Musix, were entirely solo except for the beatmakers.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dissonant
Articles Related to dissonant
Cite this Entry
“Dissonant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dissonant. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share