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
The cast fragmented, with the Byers family and El trying to start over in California while Hopper languished in a tonally dissonant Soviet gulag, as though the Duffers didn’t realize that what people loved most about Stranger Things was its grounding in Hawkins.
—
Judy Berman, Time, 26 Dec. 2025
But Roofman, which Cianfrance also co-wrote, was clearly intended to be lighter fare and instead ends up in this dissonant in-between space tonally.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2025
Jonny Greenwood’s score moves between soaring strings and dissonant piano keys, alternately soothing and anxious; a few pieces composed by Jon Brion add an ambient layer of wistfulness.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 26 Sep. 2025
Jonny Greenwood’s score moves between soaring strings and dissonant piano keys, alternately soothing and anxious; a few pieces composed by Jon Brion add an ambient layer of wistfulness.
—Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dissonant
Judy Berman, Time, 26 Dec. 2025
But Roofman, which Cianfrance also co-wrote, was clearly intended to be lighter fare and instead ends up in this dissonant in-between space tonally.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2025
Jonny Greenwood’s score moves between soaring strings and dissonant piano keys, alternately soothing and anxious; a few pieces composed by Jon Brion add an ambient layer of wistfulness.
—Katie Walsh, Twin Cities, 26 Sep. 2025
Jonny Greenwood’s score moves between soaring strings and dissonant piano keys, alternately soothing and anxious; a few pieces composed by Jon Brion add an ambient layer of wistfulness.
—Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dissonant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dissonant
Adjective
-
There’s a straight line between the criminal investigation of Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell and increasingly shrill threats to seize Greenland.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
21 Jan. 2026
-
With sports gambling legalized throughout much of the country and growing rapidly, the NCAA and the sports gambling industry should be hearing shrill alarm bells in this indictment and acting accordingly.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
20 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Closer to beach and mountain weekends, and to big, noisy holiday gatherings, and to raising children who got to see their grandparents all the time.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The album’s best moments come when Joji deploys the noisy, aggressive production favored by morose rappers like fakemink, Bladee, and Playboi Carti.—
Mehan Jayasuriya,
Pitchfork,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Trump’s second term has been cacophonous with threats—to acquire Greenland, ethnically cleanse Gaza, make a state of Canada, throw the world economy into convulsions.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
10 Jan. 2026
-
This time, the commission’s bargaining position was undercut from the start by a cacophonous chorus, with key member states preemptively voicing their opposition to retaliation.—
Matthias Matthijs,
Foreign Affairs,
12 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Over time, this buildup can affect the dishwasher's performance, lead to unpleasant odors, and leave dishes less clean.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
8 Feb. 2026
-
The water in Griffin was deemed safe to use the same day as the spill, later in the evening, but some residents believed the water still had an unpleasant smell.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
But Cialente also captures the discordant keys of a multigenerational household, from childlike angst to youthful rebellion to marital frustration.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Baumbach’s remarkably faithful take on Don DeLillo’s absurdist 1985 novel is a half-thrilling, half-discordant attempt to harmonize two distinct voices.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
5 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
The Samsonite Medium Check-In Spinner is a more affordable alternative to Stewart’s Rimowa metallic carry-on, and right now, it’s deeply discounted at over $200 off.—
Cheryl Wagemann,
InStyle,
8 Feb. 2026
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At the show's afterparty, Browne and his models—some still wearing the metallic hair adornments from the show—loosened up a bit as a DJ positioned in one corner of the tent attempted to manifest Latifah with a quick mix of her hits.—
Eve Batey,
Vanity Fair,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
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
-
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 14 Feb. 2026.
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