Definition

1. Noun:
   • A harsh, disagreeable combination of sounds; lack of harmony in sound: In music and acoustics, "dissonance" refers to a combination of tones that sounds unstable, tense, or clashing, often requiring resolution to a consonant chord.
   • A lack of agreement or harmony; inconsistency: More broadly, "dissonance" describes a conflict or incongruity between ideas, actions, opinions, or elements.

Usage and Examples

• Noun (Musical/Acoustic):

  • The composer used dissonance to create a feeling of anxiety in the piece.
  • The dissonance between the two instruments was jarring to the audience.

• Noun (Figurative/General):

  • There was a clear dissonance between the company's public statements and its private actions.
  • The dissonance in their political views eventually ended their friendship.

Advanced Usage

• Cognitive Dissonance: A psychological term for the mental discomfort experienced when a person holds two or more contradictory beliefs, ideas, or values, or when their behavior contradicts their beliefs.
  • Buying an expensive car while advocating for environmental causes caused him significant cognitive dissonance.

Variants and Related Words

• Dissonant (adj): Characterized by dissonance; inharmonious or incongruous.
  • The dissonant chords resolved into a peaceful melody.
  • His views were dissonant with the group's core principles.

Synonyms

• Discord: A lack of harmony or agreement; harsh sound.
• Cacophony: A harsh, discordant mixture of sounds.
• Incongruity: The state of being out of place or incompatible.
• Conflict: A serious disagreement or incompatibility.

Antonyms

• Harmony: The combination of simultaneously sounded musical notes to produce a pleasing effect; agreement or concord.
• Consonance: Agreement or compatibility between opinions or actions; a harmonious combination of musical tones.

Related Concepts

• Dissonance Theory: In social psychology, the theory related to cognitive dissonance, which posits that individuals are motivated to reduce psychological inconsistency.

Noun

1. disagreeable sounds
2. the auditory experience of sound that lacks musical quality; sound that is a disagreeable auditory experience
   • modern music is just noise to me
3. a conflict of people's opinions or actions or characters