The root of "dissonant" is the Latin verb sonare. Can you guess what "sonare" means? Here's a hint: some related derivatives are "sonata," "supersonic," and "resonance." Does it sound to you as if "sonare" has something to do with sound? If so, you're right. In fact, sonare means "to sound, is related to the Latin noun sonus (meaning "sound"), and is an ancestor of the English word sound. "Dissonant" includes the negative prefix dis-. What is "dissonant," therefore, sounds inharmonic, conflicting, or clashing.
a dissonant chorus of noises arose from the busy construction site
Recent Examples on the WebMarketers need to follow different playbooks for independent, dissonant, and resonant products, tailoring their approaches to green, blue, and gray customers with each.—Frédéric Dalsace
goutam Challagalla, Harvard Business Review, 17 Apr. 2024 Under creator Christopher Storer’s frenetic, dissonant direction, Season 1 captured the grinding stress of an everyday kitchen on the constant verge of chaos.—Alison Herman, Variety, 27 June 2024 The premiere begins with the usual title card and audio sting of an orchestra tuning up and crescendoing into something dissonant and foreboding.—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 12 May 2024 Their conversations have been more tense than before the war, because of the dissonant perceptions of reality that divide Israelis and Palestinians since the war began, Balaban says.—Daniel Estrin, NPR, 14 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for dissonant
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dissonant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Middle English dissonaunte, from Latin dissonant-, dissonans, present participle of dissonare to be discordant, from dis- + sonare to sound — more at sound entry 1
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