dissonance

American  

[dis-uh-nuhns] / ˈdɪs ə nəns /

noun

• dissonances
  plural

1. 

   inharmonious or harsh sound; discord; cacophony.

2. Music.

   1. a simultaneous combination of tones conventionally accepted as being in a state of unrest and needing completion.

   2. an unresolved, discordant chord or interval.

3. disagreement or incongruity.

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dissonance British  

/ ˈdɪsənəns /

noun

1. a discordant combination of sounds

2. lack of agreement or consistency

3. music

   1. a sensation commonly associated with all intervals of the second and seventh, all diminished and augmented intervals, and all chords based on these intervals Compare consonance

   2. an interval or chord of this kind

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Usage

What does dissonance mean? Dissonance is harsh, inharmonious noise—cacophony. It can also refer to stark disagreement or lack of consistency. In both cases, a close synonym is discord. In the context of music, the word dissonance is used in a specific way to refer to a combination of sounds thought to be inharmonious (often ones intentionally composed to be so). It can also refer to a chord or interval that features such disharmony. In music and in general, dissonance is the opposite of consonance, which means harmony, agreement, or accord. In psychology, the term cognitive dissonance refers to the unease a person feels when they have two or more contradictory or incompatible beliefs. An adjective form of dissonance is dissonant. Example: Leaders in both factions of the party promised harmony, but so far there has been nothing but dissonance and constant arguing.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• dissonances
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of dissonance

1565–75; < Late Latin dissonantia, equivalent to disson- ( see dissonant) + -antia -ance

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Explanation

Disagreeable sounds can be called dissonance. You know it's dissonance if you have the strong desire to cover your ears with your hands. Racket, noise, dissonance — all can describe sounds that are not pleasant. While some musicians purposely add a little dissonance into their melodies to create an unexpected sound, others, like someone who just started drum lessons, creates dissonance by accident. Dissonance can also be a conflict between people or opinions, like the dissonance you feel when you want to do something but your parents say "no."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dissonance dissonances

Women now have access to greater financial freedom, which leads to more choice and opportunity, “but it also creates dissonance when someone is expecting to be bankrolled by a partner,” Hoffman said.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 3, 2026

For fans who made the trip, the combination of America’s favorite sport with France’s tradition of public protest has created an odd dissonance.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2026

And let’s not forget how, in this particular song, what’s happening is that Mills is singing the same lines as Stipe, just a beat or two slower; it’s not an echo, it’s dissonance.

From Salon ● Oct. 7, 2026

With “New Avatar,” she wanted to “dismantle and disrupt” that dissonance without abandoning her R&B roots, she says.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026

But many people have halfburied truths, or small lies, or disconnects, little bits of dissonance in how they live their lives.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

The word-painting in these arresting madrigal-style pieces, heightened by Gesualdo’s characteristic dissonances, is starkly immediate.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2025

Pohlad treasures the harmonies and dissonances that wonderful actors create, even if his camera can excessively linger on Affleck’s brooding at the expense of an under-utilized Deschanel as the long-supportive wife.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2023

To be an immigrant is to live in a fractured multiverse, one riven with geographic, temporal and psychical dissonances.

From Washington Post ● May 4, 2022

In “Der Doppelgänger” — one of Schubert’s most terrifying songs — she sustained dissonances, letting their uneasiness warp and linger under Padmore’s stark melody.

From New York Times ● Mar. 14, 2022

Music that contains no dissonances can tend to seem simplistic or boring.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones

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Related Words

• discord
• discrepancy
• disparity
• dissension
• incongruity

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