dissonance
DIS-uh-nuhns
/ˈdɪs.ən.əns/
A lack of harmony among musical notes, creating tension that demands resolution; or psychological clash between conflicting ideas.
Refers to intentional or natural musical friction that drives progression, or mental tension from inconsistency.
The story behind the word. From Latin 'dissonantia', derived from 'dissonare' (to sound out of tune), combining 'dis-' (apart) and 'sonare' (to sound). It described notes that sounded apart rather than blending.
Word relationships
- discord: Discord implies active harshness or dispute, while dissonance often denotes structural musical tension requiring resolution.
- cacophony: Cacophony is random unpleasant noise, whereas dissonance is deliberate musical tension within a system.
- consonance: Consonance represents acoustic stability, rest, and sweet concord.
- harmony: Harmony denotes pleasing agreement and structural alignment.
Commonly confused with
- resonance: Resonance is echoing amplification, whereas dissonance is clashing acoustic or intellectual tension.
Word family
- dissonant (adjective): Lacking harmony; harsh or tense in sound.
- dissonantly (adverb): In a dissonant manner.
Collocations
- cognitive dissonance
- jarring dissonance
- resolve dissonance
Example sentences
- "The composer deliberately used jarring dissonance to create a feeling of anxiety in the movie soundtrack." Film soundtrack analysis
Memory hook
DIS-AGREEING sounds cause DISsonance. Clashing, tense sound requiring resolution.
When not to use
Do not use to describe unstructured environmental noise that lacks structural context.
Fun facts
- Psychologist Leon Festinger coined 'cognitive dissonance' in 1957 to explain the psychological stress experienced when holding contradictory beliefs.
Explore more words
discord, dissonant, clash, friction, dissension, discrepancy
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