Showing results for "jarring"

• present participle of jar.

jarring

American  

[jahr-ing] / ˈdʒɑr ɪŋ /

adjective

1. 

   having a harshly unpleasant or disturbing effect on one’s nerves, feelings, thoughts, etc..

   The news of my cancer diagnosis was both jarring and devastating.

2. (of sounds) producing a harshly unpleasant effect; discordant.

   I’d much rather wake up to a gentle vibration than to the jarring sound of my phone alarm.

3. conflicting, clashing, or disagreeing.

   There is a jarring contrast between the trees and open space of the peaceful park and its hostile border of gray concrete warehouses and parking garages.

4. vibrating or shaking; characterized by sudden, jerky movements.

   There was enough rock on that trail to make for a jarring ride on a bike with narrow wheels and no suspension.

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noun

1. the act, state, or effect of clashing or conflicting.

   Paradoxically, the jarring of an encounter with the arts in the middle of outdoor urban space creates a connection between them.

2. the act of shaking or the state of being shaken; sudden, jerky movement.

   The seats had no padding and I felt bruises forming from the jarring of the truck.

3. the act of disturbing a person by harsh, discordant sound or by something unsettling, unexpected, or unpleasant.

   For UK readers, using the British text edition makes for a comfortable read without the jarring of unfamiliar spelling or phrasing.

Other Word Forms

• unjarring
  adjective
• jarringly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of jarring

First recorded in 1550–60; jar ² ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses; jar ² ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun senses

Explanation

A loud, abrupt, shocking noise is jarring. If the sound of your telephone ringing is jarring, it will make you jump. The jarring noise of the garbage truck screeching to a stop in front of your house might make your dog bark furiously, and a sudden jarring sound from your car's engine means you should probably pull off of the highway to find out what's wrong. Other things that shock or disturb you are also jarring. The word comes from the verb jar, "to disturb, perturb, or produce a harsh sound."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

jarring

It was all the more jarring because elsewhere Nordqvist had unmistakably fostered that famed European spirit which so often permeates through Solheim and Ryder Cup successes.

From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026

The pivot was so jarring that there was a Senate hearing on the matter.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026

The exhibit, which professes to illustrate storytelling through art in its earliest manifestations, is a jarring introduction to a museum that houses 1,300 original works.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026

This shift in focus was jarring for the Post, which had previously published a diversity of viewpoints in its opinion pages while maintaining a largely liberal editorial orientation.

From Salon ● Aug. 25, 2026

He was beginning to feel his paws numbed by the jarring blows of the hefty iron railing against the sword blade.

From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques

Related Words

• bumpy
• crushing
• disconcerting
• unsettling