discordant

adjective

dis·​cor·​dant di-ˈskȯr-dᵊnt 

1

a

: being at variance : disagreeing

discordant opinions

b

: quarrelsome

a discordant family

2

music : relating to a discord (see discord entry 1 sense 2)

a discordant tone

discordantly adverb

Did you know?

Discord, a word more common in earlier centuries than today, means basically "conflict", so discordant often means "conflicting". The opinions of Supreme Court justices are frequently discordant; justices who disagree with the Court's decision usually write a dissenting opinion. Discordant is often used with a somewhat musical meaning, suggesting that a single wrong note or harmony has been heard in the middle of a performance—even though musical words such as chord actually come from a different Latin word, meaning "cord" or "string" (a reference to the strings of ancient instruments such as the lyre).

Synonyms

• cacophonous
• dissonant
• inharmonious
• unmelodious
• unmusical
• unvocal

Examples of discordant in a Sentence

She has the difficult task of bringing together a number of discordant elements.

discordant tones coming from the poorly tuned instrument

Recent Examples on the Web

That the cast doesn’t really consist of Broadway-ready actors adds that extra discordant note. —Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 13 Sep. 2024

After assuming the prime ministership in July, May dismissed potentially discordant ministers and appointed a finely balanced new cabinet. —Tim Cullen, Foreign Affairs, 19 Aug. 2016

Hans Zimmer’s score sprinkles in discordant notes of dread. —Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 9 Oct. 2024

Descriptions also bear an alien, computer imprint in their discordant and nearly nonsensical images. —Tom Comitta, WIRED, 9 May 2023

Word History

Etymology

see discord entry 2

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

discordant

adjective

dis·​cord·​ant

dis-ˈkȯrd-ᵊnt

1

a

: not being in agreement

discordant opinions

b

: quarrelsome

a discordant family

2

: relating to or producing a discord

discordant music

discordantly adverb

Medical Definition

discordant

adjective

dis·​cor·​dant dis-ˈkȯrd-ᵊnt 

of twins

: dissimilar with respect to one or more particular characters compare concordant

discordance

-ᵊn(t)s 

noun