UNMUSICAL Synonyms: 77 Similar and Opposite Words

unmusical

adjective

ˌən-ˈmyü-zi-kəl

Definition of unmusical

as in shrill

marked by or producing a harsh combination of sounds a very unmusical chorus of squawks from the angry ravens

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of unmusical 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, 3 Oct. 2019 Paradoxically, then, the man most involved in the development of the electric guitar was the unmusical Leo Fender. — David Kirby, WSJ, 17 Jan. 2019 The controversy of Schoenberg’s serialist works—the overwhelming reaction to them as ugly, nightmarish, simply unmusical—shows how firmly tonality had come to condition habits of listening. — Paul Grimstad, The New Republic, 21 June 2018

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unmusical

Adjective

That trademark indecision of summer takes root in her words and spreads through the music until her vocals diverge in the chorus, peeling like a clementine’s skin as one shrill line scales upward and the other remains monotone.

— Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 21 July 2026
On shrill winter nights, Moscow’s power is conspicuous, its Orthodox cathedrals and Stalinist high-rises illuminated, though the view falls dim in the autumn and spring, shrouded in sheets of greige.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Apr. 2026

Definition of shrill

Adjective

The noisy, chaotic sound of her 2019 release helped set the stage for Carti’s Whole Lotta Red, which brought rage to the mainstream and pushed rap at large toward more aggressive sounds in the 2020s.

— Mehan Jayasuriya, Pitchfork, 24 July 2026
According to Gruber, this is similar to humans talking in a crowded and noisy nightclub or bar.

— Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 22 July 2026

Definition of noisy

Adjective

Combined with massaging seats, powerful climate control and extensive sound insulation, the technology turns an unpleasant commute into something approaching a sensory deprivation chamber.

— Karl Brauer, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
Chief on consumers' minds is cyclosporiasis, an unpleasant intestinal illness caused by the parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis, which has recently dominated headlines amid a tidal wave of cases.

— Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 28 July 2026

Definition of unpleasant

Adjective

One of the most devastating explosions ever on the planet—the 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima—created a metallic material that was never seen before in a lab or nature.

— Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 29 July 2026
Your metallic belts or rhinestone bags from the early 2000s might be worth a second chance in the sunlight.

— Caroline Lubinsky, Martha Stewart, 28 July 2026

Definition of metallic

Adjective

We are made loving, good, and pure – entirely free from any inharmonious tendency.

— Margaret Rogers, Christian Science Monitor, 15 Apr. 2026
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

Definition of inharmonious

Adjective

Despite its simple premise, Raimi’s eccentric, expressive filmmaking style, combined with the film’s unyielding, cacophonous splatter horror, made The Evil Dead instantly notorious.

— Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 10 July 2026
In its cacophonous surroundings, the White House stood serene.

— Mark Puleo, New York Times, 11 June 2026

Definition of cacophonous

Browse Nearby Words

unmuffling

unmusical

unnamed

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Unmusical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unmusical. Accessed 31 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of unmusical

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

comely

Popular in Grammar & Usage

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly

Popular in Wordplay

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Jul. 31

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes