Word
dissonance
Phoneticsdis·so·nance, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈdɪsənəns/
UK/dˈɪsənəns/
Definitions
01harsh sound
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Music Technical
n. a combination of musical notes that sound unpleasant, harsh, or unstable together.
n. a combination of sounds or musical notes that are discordant or lack harmony, often creating a sense of tension.
“The composer used dissonance to make the audience feel nervous during the scary scene.”
“Modernist composers often employed deliberate dissonance to challenge traditional expectations of melodic resolution and tonal stability.”
Usage
Uncountable when referring to the general quality of sound; countable when referring to specific instances in a score.
Antonyms
02conflict of ideas
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Academic
n. a lack of agreement between two ideas, beliefs, or actions.
n. a state of disagreement or inconsistency between beliefs, values, or actions, often resulting in tension.
“There is a dissonance between what the company says and how it treats its workers.”
“The cognitive dissonance felt by the subjects was evident when their long-held beliefs were directly contradicted by the new empirical evidence.”
Usage
Often appears in the phrase 'cognitive dissonance' in psychological contexts.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Real-World Examples
“Civilised Britons justified participating in the slave trade with what Pettigrew calls “an impressive degree of societal cognitive dissonance”.” “She described life in wartime Moscow as an exercise in cognitive dissonance.” Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French dissonance, from Latin dissonantia; by surface analysis, dis- + son- + -ance.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
- 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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