dissonance
n. C / Un. a lack of harmony between musical notes or a clash between two ideas that do not fit together. It often creates a feeling of tension or discomfort.
n. a tension or clash resulting from the combination of two disharmonious or unsuitable elements. In music, it refers to a lack of harmony among notes; in psychology, it describes the mental discomfort of holding conflicting beliefs.
The modern piece was full of musical dissonance.
The dissonance between the politician's promises and his actual voting record made the public lose trust in him.
While classical composers used dissonance sparingly to create temporary tension, many twentieth-century avant-garde artists embraced it as a primary structural element to challenge traditional notions of beauty.
Borrowed from Middle French dissonance, from Latin dissonantia; by surface analysis, dis- + son- + -ance.
Uncountable when referring to the general quality of disharmony; countable when referring to specific instances of clashing sounds or ideas.