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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
Uneasy strings soundtrack a creature’s tentative first steps out of the primordial sea, and intense, dissonant horns blare as a T. rex engages in an epic battle with a powerful planet eater.
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James Grebey, Vulture, 23 July 2025
His disjointed, dissonant rhythms were his attempt to accompany the chaos — like providing a real-time soundtrack to a strange silent movie.
—David Kushner, Rolling Stone, 20 July 2025
The outside world seems to be growing only more dissonant and chaotic.
—Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 2 June 2025
If not, a show that has now been in decline for half its run risks devolving into a mess as self-indulgent, morose, and, well, dissonant as its title character.
—Judy Berman, Time, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for dissonant
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James Grebey, Vulture, 23 July 2025
His disjointed, dissonant rhythms were his attempt to accompany the chaos — like providing a real-time soundtrack to a strange silent movie.
—David Kushner, Rolling Stone, 20 July 2025
The outside world seems to be growing only more dissonant and chaotic.
—Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 2 June 2025
If not, a show that has now been in decline for half its run risks devolving into a mess as self-indulgent, morose, and, well, dissonant as its title character.
—Judy Berman, Time, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for dissonant
Cite this Entry
“Dissonant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dissonant. Accessed 2 Aug. 2025.
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