DISSONANT
adjective DISS-uh-nunt
What It Means
Dissonant typically describes music that is not in harmony, or sounds and notes that clash. In non-music contexts, dissonant describes things that clash by not being in agreement or by not fitting well together.
// The guitarist struck a dissonant chord.
// The retrospective provided a sometimes dissonant journey through the artist’s decades of work.
Dissonant in Context
“Their disparate sonic elements form a dissonant but cohesive whole, wisps of trumpet and electronic woodwinds flashing by as quickly as flickering subway car lights.” — Sam Goldner, Pitchfork, 23 July 2026
Did You Know?
At the root of dissonant is the Latin verb sonare. Can you guess what sonare means? Here’s a hint: some related words are sonata, supersonic, and resonance. Does it sound to you as if sonare has something to do with sound? To invoke an approving sound in response: ding ding ding. In fact, sonare means “to sound,” is related to the Latin noun sonus (meaning “sound”), and is also an ancestor of the English word sound. In musical contexts, dissonant and the related noun dissonance are used to describe a clashing or unresolved musical interval or chord. Consonance, in contrast, refers to a musical interval or chord that produces an impression of agreeableness or resolution.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary
