as in shrill
marked by or producing a harsh combination of sounds
a dissonant chorus of noises arose from the busy construction site
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Recent Examples of dissonant
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
The visual scheme is deliberately dissonant, with the bold primary colors of the costumes and the set dressing clashing against drab, gray, real-life backgrounds.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 7 Feb. 2025
These dissonant elements have been in the DNA of Short n’ Sweet from the start.
—Abby Aguirre, Vogue, 11 Feb. 2025
The growling in the intro, the very advanced, dissonant piano parts and the crazy vocal performance ended me.
—Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 30 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dissonant
Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 12 Feb. 2025
The visual scheme is deliberately dissonant, with the bold primary colors of the costumes and the set dressing clashing against drab, gray, real-life backgrounds.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 7 Feb. 2025
These dissonant elements have been in the DNA of Short n’ Sweet from the start.
—Abby Aguirre, Vogue, 11 Feb. 2025
The growling in the intro, the very advanced, dissonant piano parts and the crazy vocal performance ended me.
—Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 30 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dissonant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dissonant
Adjective
-
As the evening presses forward, a shrill scream goes thundering across the third floor, and the camera pans to showcase A.B. lying dead in the game room.—
Aramide Tinubu,
Variety,
20 Mar. 2025
-
There are many reasons to visit New Orleans, from po' boys filled with heaps of fried shrimp spilling out of pillowy soft French bread, the shrill trills of brass trumpets, and the constant bustle of revelers across the city.—
Kristin Braswell,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Budgerigars are both impressive vocal mimics and also have complex vocalizations called warbles that are a mix of noisy and harmonic calls.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
19 Mar. 2025
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Trapped in bed, in a noisy room or hallway, under the fluorescent lighting of the hospital all day and night, these children experience more stress, dissatisfaction, fear and distrust of the system.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
Newsweek,
13 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Of the collection, Sundy Praia is the most luxurious, with 15 tented villas set where the cacophonous jungle meets the tawny coast.—
Stephanie Vermillion,
Travel + Leisure,
18 Mar. 2025
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The market’s message and intentions are always worth debating — especially so during an intense pullback, with cacophonous policy headlines and piqued investor emotions animating the action day to day.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
8 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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This is notable, given that post-Covid brick and mortar shopping has generally become so unpleasant, it’s given rise to the need for a personal shopper.—
Jennifer Leigh Parker,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
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Less a song than a gag, every individual element is unpleasant: single-entendre lyrics; vocals and synths that aren’t even in the same key; and the less said about Space Cowboy’s guest verse, the better.—
Kristen S. Hé,
Vulture,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The centennial of Baldwin’s birth, this past year, saw no shortage of hymns, modulating the key to minor and rendering the arrangements slightly discordant.—
Doreen St. Félix,
The New Yorker,
28 Dec. 2024
-
That’s the disturbing question being debated this week in response to the discordant noises from Washington.—
Peter Bart,
Deadline,
30 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Every vintage bathroom can benefit from a metallic accent.—
Emily Williams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
21 Mar. 2025
-
Riddle opted for a few accessories, including statement rings, a few bracelets and metallic earrings to complete her look.—
Julia Teti,
WWD,
20 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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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
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His parents were unmusical Russian-Jewish immigrants who ran various businesses with mixed success.—
The Economist,
The Economist,
3 Oct. 2019
Adjective
-
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
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For sixteen hours a week, Valentine hopes to share some melody in a place that, for some, can feel inharmonious.—
Washington Post,
Washington Post,
24 July 2021
Cite this Entry
“Dissonant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dissonant. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.
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