dissonant

adjective

dis·​so·​nant ˈdi-sə-nənt 

1

: marked by dissonance : discordant

2

: incongruous

3

: harmonically unresolved

dissonantly adverb

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.

Synonyms

• cacophonous
• discordant
• inharmonious
• unmelodious
• unmusical
• unvocal

Examples of dissonant in a Sentence

a dissonant chorus of noises arose from the busy construction site

Recent Examples on the Web

These songs all have a beautiful sadness to them and have a pop mentality, but there is always something dissonant or tense about them at times, musically. —Liza Lentini, SPIN, 17 Jan. 2025

Relationships between objects are often obscure, dissonant. —Jeremy Lybarger, ARTnews.com, 6 Jan. 2025

Some of the show's jazziest songs brought the listeners to unexpected places with funky dissonant sounds, instrumental solos and key changes. —Audrey Gibbs, The Tennessean, 5 Nov. 2024

Centuries of grime has been wiped away to reveal an immaculate but aesthetically dissonant house of worship: a Gothic church that glistens. —Joshua Berlinger, CNN, 7 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English dissonaunte, from Latin dissonant-, dissonans, present participle of dissonare to be discordant, from dis- + sonare to sound — more at sound entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

dissonant

adjective

dis·​so·​nant ˈdis-ə-nənt 

: marked by dissonance

dissonantly adverb