dissonance
noun
inharmonious or harsh sound; discord; cacophony.
dissonances
-
pluralof dissonance.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
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.
The word-painting in these arresting madrigal-style pieces, heightened by Gesualdo’s characteristic dissonances, is starkly immediate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2025
Pohlad treasures the harmonies and dissonances that wonderful actors create, even if his camera can excessively linger on Affleck’s brooding at the expense of an under-utilized Deschanel as the long-supportive wife.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2023
The duel with the guitarist was remarkable, with the two of them first trading, then meshing into some dissonances that were downright avant-garde.
From Washington Post ● Jun. 11, 2022
He came closest to surprising in the cadenza he created for the first movement, which had ruminative dissonances and lively string crossings.
From New York Times ● Nov. 25, 2021
The king had his court musicians, one of whom was Bach’s son Carl Philipp Emanuel, devise a tune specially, one they mischievously knew was practically impossible to turn into a fugue without creating horrible dissonances.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
