discordant
/dɪˈskɔːd(ə)nt
/adjective
1Disagreeing or incongruous: the operative principle of democracy is a balance of discordant qualities...
- You might guess that a show selected by six different people would appear discordant, reflecting a clash of outlook and taste.
- It examined the divergent and discordant forces at work in the UK at the time: Scottish, Welsh and English nationalism, as well as the Northern Ireland conflict.
- As a consequence, the complex shows discordant evolutionary patterns at different levels of organization.
Synonyms
in disagreement, at variance, at odds, disagreeing, differing, divergent, discrepant, contradictory, contrary, in conflict, conflicting, opposite, opposed, opposing, clashing;
incompatible, inconsistent, irreconcilable, inconsonant, incongruous
rare oppugnant
1.1Characterized by conflict: a study of children in discordant homes...
- Take phenomenological psychologists focusing on the subject and behaviourists focusing on objects: They typically do not just write in different journals, they also disagree with each other in discordant ways.
- In the early years her Cabinet was argumentative and discordant, a consequence not only of disagreements about economic strategy but also of her argumentative and directive style.
- Small businesses are becoming more discordant, with disciplinary procedures becoming formalised at an earlier stage and internal disagreements more likely to lead to legal action.
2(Of sounds) harsh and jarring because of a lack of harmony: the singers continued their discordant chanting...
- Rakael frowned as a harsh, discordant sound echoed in her ears.
- Furthermore, all manner of wind instruments are used to create discordant noises that sound dangerously close to flatulence.
- Its voice grows harsh, and discordant, sounding more like two people talking at once.
Synonyms
inharmonious, unharmonious, unmelodic, unmusical, tuneless, off-key, dissonant, harsh, jarring, grating, jangling, jangly, strident, shrill, screeching, screechy, cacophonous;
sharp, flat
rare absonant, horrisonant
Phrases
strike a discordant note
Derivatives
discordance
/ noun ...- These videos are accompanied by independently looping soundscapes that create surprising convergences and discordances through their fragmentation, distortion and repetition.
- The overall effect was quite lush, but as you looked more closely there were little discordances.
- This discordance caused misgivings among many of us.
discordancy
- The discordancy of this design suggests that the theory involved is very important, and has many serious adherents who wear turtlenecks and smoke a lot.
- In one case, the author writes that: ‘he was traduced, in other words, and his already disputatious, fractious personality was given a further push towards discordancy.’
- If the aggressive discordancies of bebop music as played by musicians such as Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker shaped the form of the book, its central idea is that of the ‘dream deferred.’
discordantly
/ adverb ...- Supposedly intelligent but extremely short-sighted members of our society shouted discordantly, ‘Houses before horses.’
- Very dimly he could hear men roaring at each other, the cacophony of their voices jarring discordantly against each other.
- Her laughter rises to meet his, blending discordantly, pitch against pitch until I can't take anymore, but they don't stop.
Origin
Late Middle English: from Old French descordant, present participle of descorder (see discord).