dissonantadj.n.
/ˈdɪsənənt/, U.S. /ˈdɪsənənt/ A. adj.
1. Disagreeing or discordant in sound, inharmonious; harsh-sounding, unmelodious, jarring.
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > degree, kind, or quality of sound > unpleasant quality > harsh or discordant quality > [adjective]
hardOE
rudea1375
stern1390
rougha1400
discordanta1425
stoutc1440
hoarse1513
harsh1530
raughtish1567
rugged1567
dissonant1573
harshy1582
jarry1582
immelodious1601
cragged1605
raggeda1616
unmusicala1616
absonousa1620
unharmoniousa1634
inharmonical1683
unharmonic1694
inharmonious1715
craggy1774
pebbly1793
reedy1795
iron1807
dry1819
inharmonic1828
asperated1835
sawing1851
shrewd1876
coarse1879
callithumpian1886
dissonantal1946
ear-bending1946
sandpaper1953
society > leisure > the arts > music > musical sound > [adjective] > inharmonious or unmelodious
discordanta1425
jarring1552
dissonant1573
tuneless1595
discordous1597
immelodious1601
discord1606
absurd1617
unharmoniousa1634
scrannel1638
unmelodious1665
disharmonious1683
disharmonical1688
unharmonic1694
dissonous1715
inharmonious1715
disconsonant1731
anti-musical1824
ear-sore1859
tin-kettley1862
cacophonous1867
unnoted1867
callithumpian1886
tinny1904
crunchy1959
1573 G. Harvey Schollers Loove in Let.-bk. (1884) 117 Dissonant and iarring dittyes.
1597 T. Morley Plaine & Easie Introd. Musicke 71 Phi. Which distances make discord or dissonant sounds? Ma. All such as doe not make concords: as a second, a fourth, a seuenth.
1601 P. Holland tr. Pliny Hist. World I. 9 As for the Moone, mortall men imagine..[to] helpe her in such a case when she is eclipsed by dissonant ringing of basons.
1774 J. Bryant New Syst. (new ed.) I. 168 If the name was dissonant, and disagreeable to their ear, it was rejected as barbarous.
1876 tr. P. Blaserna Theory Sound vii. 109 To increase their resources..musicians have been obliged to have recourse to dissonant notes and chords.
2. Out of agreement, accordance, or harmony, in any respect; disagreeing, incongruous, discordant, at variance, different. Const. from, to (rarely with). (The earlier sense in English.)
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > order > disorder > disharmony or incongruity > [adjective]
discordablea1393
discordanta1393
discordinga1398
incongruea1398
inconvenient1398
unaccording1398
discordc1415
disagreeablea1425
inconsutilec1450
unaccordanta1470
dissonant1490
disaccordanta1513
disagreeing?1526
incongruent1531
wide1531
unconsonant1535
dissonate1548
dissenting1550
dissident?c1550
unagreeable?1550
disconformc1554
discrepant1556
absonant1564
dissentany1586
disconsorted1589
disagreed1596
discordous1597
discordious1598
incorrespondent1599
dissentious1605
untunable1605
incongruous1611
unagreeing1611
unanswerable1611
eccentric1612
unconcurrent1613
disconsonant1614
dissentaneous1623
dissorting1631
uncorrespondent1631
discorrespondent1635
incoincident1636
unconcurring1639
eccentrical1640
unatonable1645
incompliant1647
pluranimous1650
disconformeda1658
inagreeable1657
inconsonant1658
disharmonious1659
inconcinn1660
discongruous1663
unharmonious1667
discoherent1675
uncongruous1709
inharmonious1749
immutual1768
unharmonized1803
unconsentaneous1818
inaccordant1822
uncorresponding1826
unharmonizing1851
non-concurring1866
discordful1867
disharmonic1887
non-concurrent1907
1490 W. Caxton tr. Eneydos vii. 32 The maner of that countree..was all dissonaunt & dishoneste in regarde to that of Dydo.
1514 Cdl. Bainbridge in H. Ellis Orig. Lett. Eng. Hist. (1827) 2nd Ser. I. 226 Thynges..that be dissonant..to your Graces honour or welthe of your Realme.
1613 S. Purchas Descr. India in Pilgrimage (1864) 151 Opinions not altogether dissonant from the Scriptures.
1613 T. Jackson Eternall Truth Script. i. ix. §1. 44 His conceit is not dissonant vnto the sacred storie.
1770 E. Burke Thoughts Present Discontents 73 It was their wish, to see public and private virtues, not dissonant and jarring..but harmoniously combined.
1789 A. Young Jrnl. 26 Dec. in Trav. France (1792) i. 260 An air of poverty and misery..quite dissonant to the general aspect of the country.
1856 G. Brimley Ess. (1858) iv. 243 Very dissonant from the innermost spirit of the poem.
1857 J. G. Holland Bay-path xxxiv. 407 [He] found himself dissonant with the spirit of the colony.
1861 H. S. Maine Anc. Law iv. 84 An anomalous and dissonant jurisprudence.
B. n.
A dissonant element; a harsh sound of speech.In quot. 1579 the meaning is doubtful.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > language > linguistics > study of speech sound > speech sound > [noun] > qualities of speech sounds > sound of specific quality
dissonant1865
hush1933
1579 J. Jones Arte preseruing Bodie & Soule i. xxxi. 66 Haue ye Alphabet letters in Iuorie..or some other deuise conuenient..to carry aboute with them, as first a, then b, after c, &c., then Consonants, after Dissonants, then Words, lastly Sentences.
1865 Emerson in Harper's Mag. Feb. (1884) 461/1 Guttural consonants or dissonants.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1896; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.n.1490