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dissonant Definition

dis·so·nant (-nənt)

adjective

  1. characterized by or constituting a dissonance; discordant
  2. opposing in opinion, temperament, etc.; incompatible; incongruous

dissonant Related Forms
dis·so·nantly adverb
dissonant Synonyms

dissonant

modif.

  1. Discordant

    strident, inharmonious, tuneless; see harsh 1.

  2. Inconsistent

    incompatible, conflicting, anomalous; see different 1, incongruous 1.

dissonant Usage Examples

Modifies a noun

  • chord: Is this a dissonant chord, or just wrong?
  • note: The only dissonant note could come from a sibling or childhood friend.
  • noise: Soaring, dissonant noises begin each song, forming a solid backbone for pretty, tinkling guitars and grinding swirls of feedback.
  • voice: Oddly enough, one has to go to the MPH website to find a dissonant voice in this general hubbub of self congratulation.
  • music: Colloquially, dissonant music is often described as ` ` more jarring ' ' than consonant music.
  • harmony: In addition, both rhythmic and dissonant harmony are used with John Cipollina and Gary Duncan playing one against the other.

Used with adjective complement

  • sound: It sounds as tho Plaid have decided that they need their music to sound dissonant for some reason.
dissonant Quotes

No sound is dissonant which tells of life.

—Coleridge, Samuel Taylor

Browse dictionary entries near dissonant

  1. dissonance
  2. dissolvent
  3. dissolve
  4. dissolution
  5. dissolute
  6. dissoluble
  7. dissociation
  8. dissociate
  9. dissocial
  10. dissociable
  1. dissuade
  2. dissuasion
  3. dissuasive
  4. dissyllable
  5. dissymmetry
  6. dist
  7. Dist Atty
  8. distaff
  9. distain
  10. distal