Word
discordant
Phoneticsdis·cor·dant, stress on the second syllable
US/dɪˈskɔɹdənt/
UK/dɪskˈɔːdənt/
Definition
adj. not in agreement or harmony, so things feel or sound wrong together. You use it for sounds that clash, and also for ideas, colours or opinions that do not fit.
adj. lacking harmony or agreement with surrounding elements. Often describes sounds that clash, and by extension opinions, colours or details that conflict or seem out of place.
Examples
“The two singers produce a discordant sound together.”
“The meeting ends with discordant views on the budget and no clear decision.”
“The novel mixes warm childhood memories with discordant notes of loss, creating a tension that stays with the reader long after the final chapter.”
Examples
simple
“The two singers produce a discordant sound together.”
contextual
“The meeting ends with discordant views on the budget and no clear decision.”
complex
“The novel mixes warm childhood memories with discordant notes of loss, creating a tension that stays with the reader long after the final chapter.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “discordant” in context.
Verb
01. discordant with mood
“Loud celebrations felt discordant with the mood of public grief.”
adj + prep + noun
02. discordant with reality
“The minister's upbeat claims were discordant with reality in hospitals.”
adj + prep + noun
03. discordant with tone
“The violent scene is discordant with the tone of the comedy.”
adj + prep + noun
04. seem discordant
“His jokes seem discordant with the solemnity of the occasion.”
verb + adj
Adjective
05. deeply discordant
“The two accounts of the accident are deeply discordant on key details.”
adv + adj
06. jarringly discordant
“The glass tower looks jarringly discordant next to the medieval church.”
adv + adj
Noun
07. discordant chord
“The pianist hit a discordant chord that made the audience wince.”
adj + noun
08. discordant element
“The neon sign is a discordant element in the historic street.”
adj + noun
09. discordant note
“The editorial strikes a discordant note in the otherwise positive coverage.”
adj + noun
10. discordant voice
“She was the sole discordant voice opposing the merger plan.”
adj + noun
11. deeply discordant with reality
“Critics called the upbeat forecast deeply discordant with reality.”
12. introduce a discordant element
“The bright mural introduces a discordant element into the grey office.”
Real-World Examples
“Love Triangle, meanwhile, involves Caroline Polachek and French dance producer SebastiAn, a thrillingly discordant synthesiser arpeggio cutting through its killer chorus and sweaty-small-hours mood.” “This is not a soft, plaintive lament – the room is a discordant, uncomfortable place, filled with a wailing cacophony of clashing vibrato and just out of tune notes.” “Better, I found, to let go and soak up the unnerving, discordant whole.” “Risk, and threat: an obsidian mirror hangs cracked on the wall, burbling out discordant sounds, a slowed down recording of a homophobic rant sent to Sahib on a gay chat room.” Etymology
From Late Middle English discordaunt (“(adjective) not in accord or harmony; dissonant; (noun) element not in accord or harmony”), from Anglo-Norman descorda(u)nt, discorda(u)nt, Middle French descordant, discordant, and Old French descordant, discordant (“of people: quarrelsome; of things: in disagreement, at variance”) (modern French discordant), an adjective use of the present participle of descorder, discorder (“to fail to agree or harmonize, clash, disagree, discord”), from Latin discordāre, the present active infinitive of discordō (“to disagree, quarrel with”), from discors (“discordant, different, inharmonious”) + -ō (suffix forming regular first-conjugation verbs). Discors is derived from dis- (“prefix meaning ‘apart, in two’”) + cor (“heart; (figurative) mind; soul”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱḗr (“heart”)). By surface analysis, discord (noun) + -ant (suffix forming adjectives from nouns with the sense ‘exhibiting [the condition or process described by the noun]’).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
Related words
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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