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

• jarringly
  adverb
• unjarring
  adjective

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

Misbah Rashad, 30, an epidemiologist who attends the mosque daily, said it has been jarring to see a place so core to her and to her community on the news.

From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026

This was jarring and may have consequences beyond the Great Hall of the People.

From BBC • May 20, 2026

What’s jarring to me is that we’ve had this conversation before, more than 150 years ago.

From Slate • May 15, 2026

“That a name evocative of Disneyland has been applied to a depopulated, decimated swath of Ukrainian coal-and-steel country could appear jarring as Europe’s deadliest fighting since World War II continues to rage,” they wrote.

From Salon • Apr. 30, 2026

The cog went up and down, bucking more wildly than any horse he’d ever ridden, lifting with each wave before sliding down into the troughs between, jarring him to the bones.

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin

Related Words

• bumpy
• crushing
• disconcerting
• unsettling