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discord

[noun dis-kawrd; verb dis-kawrd]
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noun
  1. lack of concord or harmony between persons or things: marital discord.
  2. disagreement; difference of opinion.
  3. strife; dispute; war.
  4. Music. an inharmonious combination of musical tones sounded together.
  5. any confused or harsh noise; dissonance.
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verb (used without object)
  1. to disagree; be at variance.
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Origin of discord

1200–50; (noun) Middle English descorde, discorde < Anglo-French; Old French descort (derivative of descorder), descorde < Latin discordia, derivative of discord- (stem of discors) discordant (dis- dis-1 + cord-, stem of cors heart); (v.) Middle English discorden < Anglo-French, Old French descorder < Latin discordāre derivative of discord-, as above
Related formsun·dis·cord·ing, adjective

Synonyms

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1–3. conflict, struggle, controversy, antagonism, argument, contention, quarreling.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

tumultdissonancedisharmonyharshnessjangledincacophonyjarringracketclamorclinker

Examples from the Web for discord

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

  • I should set jarring a discord in your life for which it was never meant.

    The Coryston Family

    Mrs. Humphry Ward

  • At the same time, each successive day of discord increased his anxiety.

    Fruitfulness

    Emile Zola

  • The greatest good of a State is unity; the greatest evil, discord and distraction.

  • Shall we, after the manner of Homer, pray the Muses to tell us 'how discord first arose'?

  • And therefore has neither more nor less of discord, nor yet of harmony?

    Phaedo

    Plato

British Dictionary definitions for discord

discord

noun (ˈdɪskɔːd)
  1. lack of agreement of harmony; strife
  2. harsh confused mingling of sounds
  3. a combination of musical notes containing one or more dissonant intervalsSee dissonance (def. 3), concord (def. 4)
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verb (dɪsˈkɔːd)
  1. (intr) to disagree; clash
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Word Origin

C13: from Old French descort, from descorder to disagree, from Latin discordāre, from discors at variance, from dis- 1 + cor heart
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for discord

n.

early 13c., descorde, "unfriendly feeling, ill will;" also "dissention, strife," from Old French descorde (12c.) "disagreement," from Latin discordia, from discors (genitive discordis) "disagreeing, disagreement," from dis- "apart" (see dis-) + cor (genitive cordis) "heart" (see heart). Musical sense is late 14c.

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v.

c.1300, from Old French discorder (13c.), from Latin discordare (see discord (n.)).

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper