dissonance — English Dictionary

Noun

1. A harsh, discordant combination of sounds.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Synonyms

   cacophony

   Antonyms

   consonanceconcordanceconcord

2. Conflicting notes that are not overtones of the note or chord sounding.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

3. A state of disagreement or conflict.

   Usage

   • Uncountable

   Synonyms

   discordancediscorddisharmonydisjunctiondispute

   Examples

   Cognitive dissonance exists when a person possesses two cognitions, one of which is contradictory to the other

4. An instance of that state.

   Usage

   • Countable

   Synonyms

   clashdispute

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   In this polyphony of images in the unconscious which is beyond and outside historical time, there are complex harmonies but no dissonances: the images do not clash, but that, of course, is an aesthetic judgment and not a scientific one.

Noun

1. a conflict of people's opinions or actions or characters

   Synonyms

   disagreementdissension

   Broader terms

   conflict

2. the auditory experience of sound that lacks musical quality; sound that is a disagreeable auditory experience

   Synonyms

   noiseracket

   Broader terms

   soundauditory sensation

   Examples

   modern music is just noise to me

3. disagreeable sounds

   Antonyms

   harmony

   Broader terms

   sound property