Dissonance
noun /ˈdɪs(ə)nəns/ — A jarring clash of sounds that creates productive tension.
Definition
A combination of musical notes that produce a harsh or inharmonious effect when sounded together; the quality of being discordant — and in psychology, the mental discomfort of holding conflicting beliefs.
Beyond the definition
Dissonance in music is not failure but tension awaiting resolution. Jazz and modern classical music use it deliberately — the dissonant chord that makes the resolved one more beautiful by contrast. In thought, cognitive dissonance is similarly productive: the friction between what we believe and what we experience is where change begins.
Origin & history
From Latin dissonantia, from dis- (apart) + sonare (to sound). The literal meaning is sounds that pull apart from each other rather than merging harmoniously.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The composer used dissonance strategically — every resolution was sweeter for the tension that preceded it.
The cognitive dissonance of knowing something was wrong and doing it anyway was exhausting.
There was a dissonance between how he presented himself and who she could see he actually was.
Synonyms
Antonyms
consonance, harmony, resolution, euphony
Related words
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Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Person Contemplating Wasteful Choices
A person looks conflicted between a reusable bag and a pile of unnecessary plastic-wrapped items, with a flourishing plant nearby in a stark kitchen.
The subject's uncomfortable, reflective expression highlights the inner struggle of holding conflicting values. The visual contrast between the plant and the excess packaging acts as a metaphor for the psychological discomfort caused by dissonance, where two incompatible realities clash within the same mental or physical space.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration