discordant
Americanadjective
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being at variance; disagreeing; incongruous.
discordant opinions.
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disagreeable to the ear; dissonant; harsh.
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Geology. (of strata) structurally unconformable.
adjective
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at variance; disagreeing
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harsh in sound; inharmonious
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of discordant
1250–1300; Middle English discordaunt < Anglo-French < Latin discordant- (stem of discordāns ), present participle of discordāre. See discord, -ant
Explanation
If you believe that movies should entertain, but your friend insists that movies should inspire, then the two of you hold discordant views on the purpose of movies. That means your opinions are in conflict. You can see the word discord in discordant. Discord is tension felt between people who strongly disagree about something. So discordant describes experiencing discord, a lack of harmony. A discordant conversation at your dinner table may make some people upset — they want everyone to get along. Discordant can also describe harsh and unpleasant sounds, like the blaring horns in city traffic.
Vocabulary lists containing discordant
Grade 9, List 4
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Things Fall Apart
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The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A score by Latham and Shelby Gaines balances discordant, atonal tones with suspense-driven sound design that captures the creaking noises of the forest and the concealed dangers it holds.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
As applied to religious symbols, Lemon led to a series of fractured decisions from 1984 to 2010 that pleased no one and provided widely discordant direction to lower courts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 4, 2026
In turn, an expanding roster of immersive, cinematic TV made the medium’s cheesy jingles and pandering copy look and sound discordant.
From Salon ● Apr. 25, 2026
A 19th-Century Anglo-Indian journal derided the voices of boys playing women as "discordant", comparing them unfavourably to "howling jackals".
From BBC ● Apr. 4, 2026
Calliope music played: a Strauss waltz, stirring and occasionally discordant.
From "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
