jarring

[jahr-ing]

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.

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of jarring¹

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

Example Sentences

Bergman’s production, marred by blasts of jarring folk music between scene transitions, is a little too on the nose.

From Los Angeles Times

Stepping back into his own world was bound to feel jarring.

From Los Angeles Times

New England Patriots' descent from the top has been jarring to their fans while probably delightful for everyone else.

From BBC

He returned holding a North Korean flag, a sight rarely seen and deeply jarring in the South, and addressed the reporters and 20 or so volunteers who had turned up in support.

From BBC

That was especially jarring, Gutierrez said, given that the advisory committee for the last decade has repeatedly made its own attempts to raise the community gardens’ cost recovery.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• bumpy 
• crushing www.thesaurus.com
• disconcerting 
• unsettling www.thesaurus.com