dissonance

C2+ Topic:Abstract Ideas
US /ˈdɪsənəns/ UK /ˈdɪsənəns/
noun

Meanings

  1. 1
    noun

    a harsh or inharmonious combination of sounds or ideas

    The chord's deliberate dissonance unsettled the listening audience.

Thesaurus

Synonyms
1 noun · a harsh or inharmonious... discorddisharmonycacophonyclashinharmonyjangle
Word family
Derived forms dissonantdissonantly

Etymology

From Old French dissonance, from Late Latin dissonantia, from Latin dissonare ('to sound discordantly'), from dis- ('apart') + sonare ('to sound'), from sonus ('sound').

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