harmonious
Americanadjective
-
marked by agreement in feeling, attitude, or action.
a harmonious group.
- Synonyms:
- sympathetic, congenial, amicable
- Antonyms:
- discordant
-
forming a pleasingly consistent whole; congruous.
harmonious colors.
- Synonyms:
- consistent, consonant, congruent, concordant
-
pleasant to the ear; tuneful; melodious.
- Antonyms:
- discordant
adjective
-
(esp of colours or sounds) fitting together well
-
having agreement or consensus
-
tuneful, consonant, or melodious
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of harmonious
First recorded in 1520–30, harmonious is from the Greek word harmónios melodious, literally, fitting. See harmony, -ous
Explanation
Things that are harmonious go together nicely, like notes in music or people that work well as a team. The idea of things being harmonious comes from music — when certain notes sound good together, they are harmonious. But this concept applies to many other things and people, too. You could say pieces of art that look good next to each other are harmonious. A basketball team that shares the ball and gets along well is harmonious. Anytime people get along, they're being harmonious. In a totally harmonious society, there would be no war or hate.
Vocabulary lists containing harmonious
Tuesdays with Morrie
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Black Like Me
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Novel Study: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act 2
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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.
"His teachings emphasize the harmonious coexistence between humans and nature, a principle that perfectly aligns with the conservation mission of the Giant Panda National Park where this species was discovered."
From Science Daily • Apr. 22, 2026
Rudolf Virchow, a 19th-century Prussian pathologist, considered organisms a kind of “cellular democracy,” a harmonious republic of cooperating cells.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026
South Australia historically hasn't been a likely hunting ground for One Nation, Kos Samaras says, because it is largely urbanised, middle class and socially harmonious.
From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026
The wolf-raven relationship is sometimes described in popular culture as harmonious, but Marzluff said it's ultimately pretty lopsided.
From Barron's • Mar. 12, 2026
Xhosa society was a balanced and harmonious social order in which every individual knew his or her place.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Definitions 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.
